“Oh, I’ve found some eggs!” suddenly cried Flossie, as she spied some of the white objects in a nest in the hay.

“Pick them up carefully,” advised Nan.  “Eggs break very easily.”

“I want to help pick up the eggs!” cried Freddie, hurrying over to his little sister’s side.

“No, you go find a nest of your own!” exclaimed Flossie.  “These are my eggs!”

“There are plenty of nests,” said Nan.  “You ought each to find two or three.  Come on, Freddie, we’ll look for a nest for you.  Be careful of those eggs, Flossie!  I guess I’d better help you pick them up and put them in a basket while Freddie looks for another nest.”

So while Nan stayed with Flossie, Freddie started off by himself to look for another nest.  And as Nan discovered a second nest not far from where Flossie had found the first one, it took the sisters some time to pick up all the eggs.

This gave Freddie more time to himself, and he saw a ladder leading into the upper part of the barn where most of the hay was stored.

“I guess maybe I’ll find eggs up there,” he said.

He climbed the ladder, going slowly and carefully, and soon found himself up in the haymow.  It was rather dark there, but when he had been in the place a little while Freddie could see better.

“I guess hens come up here to lay ’cause it’s nice and quiet.  Now I must find some nests and eggs.”

He walked about over the slippery hay, peering here and there for a cluster of white eggs.  Suddenly Freddie felt himself sliding down.  Faster and faster he went, feet first, and before he knew it he had slid down into a big hole together with a lot of hay.

“Nan!  Nan!” he cried.  “Come an’ get me!  I’m down in a hole!”

CHAPTER XI

THE COUNTY FAIR

Just as Nan and Flossie finished putting the last of the eggs into their basket they heard Freddie’s cries for help.  Surprised and a little frightened, they ran out of that part of the barn where Flossie had found the first nest and Nan the second.

“Freddie!  Freddie!” cried Nan.  “Where are you, Freddie?”

“Down in a hole!” came the muffled answer.

“What hole?” Nan wanted to know.  “Tell me where the hole is so I can come and get you out.  What hole, Freddie?”

“Maybe it’s a dark hole,” suggested Flossie.  “You ’member the verse:  ‘Charcoal!  Charcoal!  Put me in a dark hole.’  Maybe Freddie is in a dark hole.”

“Yes, it is dark!” again sounded the muffled voice of the little boy.  “I can hear you, Nan, but I can’t see you.  Get me out of the dark hole!”

Nan was puzzled.  She, too, could hear Freddie calling, but she could not see him.  There were so many nooks and corners in the old barn that it was not strange Freddie was not easily found.  It was a great place for playing hide and go seek, so many dark spots were there in which to crouch, and the seeker might be right alongside of you and not spy you.