CHAPTER XII.
Our fields near Tent House had by this time brought forth good crops of wheat, maize, beans, and peas; but as the work of the Cave had for some weeks kept us on this side of the stream, we did not know in what state we should find our crops at The Nest.
One day we all set our for our old home. We found our corn fields of a rich brown hue, and saw that the wheat was, for the most part, fit to reap. This, and a large patch of rye, we cut down, and, as we did so, whole flocks of birds took to wing when we got near them, while quails were seen to run off at the sight of our dogs, who had no lack of sport that day.
We laid by the seed that was quite ripe till the time should come for us to sow it, and put the rest in sacks. Some of the what was laid up in sheaves till we should have time to beat out the grain.
When we left The Nest for the Cave, we could not find the hand mill that we had brought from the ship. This now came to light, and we took care to pack it up to take with us, as we should want it to grind our grain.
That night we slept once more in the great tree; but I must say that we did not now sleep so sound there as we used to do, nor did
