Mr.Laurie listened well, but found the boy more interesting than the Indians, for Mrs.Jo had told him about Dan, and he rather took a fancy to the wild lad, who ran away as he himself had often longed to do, and who was slowly getting tamed by pain and patience.
"I've been thinking that it would be a good plan for you fellows to have a museum of your own; a place in which to collect all the curious and interesting things that you find, and make, and have given you.

Mrs.Jo is too kind to complain, but it is rather hard for her to have the house littered up with all sorts of rattletraps, half-a-pint of dor-bugs in one of her best vases, for instance, a couple of dead bats nailed up in the back entry, wasps nests tumbling down on people's heads, and stones lying round everywhere, enough to pave the avenue.

There are not many women who would stand that sort of thing, are there, now ?" As Mr.Laurie spoke with a merry look in his eyes, the boys laughed and nudged one another, for it was evident that some one told tales out of school, else how could he know of the existence of these inconvenient treasures.
"Where can we put them, then ?" said Demi, crossing his legs and leaning down to argue the question.
"In the old carriage-house." "But it leaks, and there isn't any window, nor any place to put things, and it's all dust and cobwebs," began Nat.
"Wait till Gibbs and I have touched it up a bit, and then see how you like it.

He is to come over on Monday to get it ready; then next Saturday I shall come out, and we will fix it up, and make the beginning, at least, of a fine little museum.

Every one can bring his things, and have a place for them; and Dan is to be the head man, because he knows most about such matters, and it will be quiet, pleasant work for him now that he can't knock about much." "Won't that be jolly ?" cried Nat, while Dan smiled all over his face and had not a word to say, but hugged his book, and looked at Mr.Laurie as if he thought him one of the greatest public benefactors that ever blessed the world.
"Shall I go round again, sir ?" asked Peter, as they came to the gate, after two slow turns about the half-mile triangle.
"No, we must be prudent, else we can't come again.