the shores.

When the boys reached this creek, they sat down under a shady tree, to
watch the fishes, and listen to the songs of the birds, on the bushes
that hung over the water. In a short time, a number of eels came from
under a large stone, one after the other, and after swimming about for a
little while, buried themselves in the mud. Samuel asked Thomas where so
many came from.

"They live in the water," replied his cousin. "On a pleasant evening you
can see many more swimming among the stones, and the roots of trees, by
the edge of the creek. But, do you know, that they sometimes come out of
the water, and glide about the meadows."

"No," said Samuel; "do they?"

"Yes," replied Thomas. "At night you may sometimes see a great many
among the grass. One evening last summer John and I met a whole company
of them, going from the little creek, near Daddy Hall's house, toward
the mill pond. We thought, at first, that they were snakes, and so moved
out of their road; but by and by, we perceived that they were eels. The
weather had been hot and dry for two weeks before, and these eels were
travelling to find more water. So father told us afterwards."

The boys now walked on, down the creek, until they came to a small
bridge. On this a boy, about as large as Samuel, was standing, throwing
stones into the water. When Thomas, and the other two, got near enough,
they saw he was stoning frogs. Every time one of these little animals
put its head above the water, the boy pelted it with a stone; and two or
three had been mashed to death, as they sat on the broad stones, near