heard what had passed, he said:

"Depend upon it, the child has eaten something which has made him ill.
Tell me, Tommy, what did you eat when you were down there?"

"Berries," roared Tommy.

"I thought as much, ma'am," said Ready. "I must go and see what the
berries were." And the old man hastened down to the place where Mr.
Seagrave had been at work. In the meantime Mrs. Seagrave was much
alarmed lest the child should have poisoned himself, and Mr. Seagrave
went to search among the medicines for some castor-oil.

Ready returned just as he came back to the tent with the bottle of
castor-oil, and he told Ready that he was about to give Tommy a dose.

"Well, sir," replied Ready, who had a plant in his hand, "I don't think
you should give him any, for it appears to me that he has taken too
much already. This is, if I recollect right, the castor-oil plant, and
here are some of the castor-oil beans which Master Tommy has been
eating. Tell me, Tommy, did you eat them?"

"Yes," cried Tommy.

"I thought so: give him a little warm drink, ma'am, and he'll soon be
better: it will teach him not to eat berries or beans again."

What Ready said was true; nevertheless Master Tommy was very ill for
the whole of the day, and was put early to bed.