"Everybody has got something but me. I wish I had a dove, or a
hen, or even a turtle, all my own," thought Nat, feeling very poor
as he saw the interesting treasures of the other boys. "How do you
get these things?" he asked, when he joined Tommy in the barn.

"We find 'em or buy 'em, or folks give 'em to us. My father sends
me mine; but as soon as I get egg money enough, I'm going to buy
a pair of ducks. There's a nice little pond for 'em behind the barn,
and people pay well for duck-eggs, and the little duckies are pretty,
and it's fun to see 'em swim," said Tommy, with the air of a
millionaire.

Nat sighed, for he had neither father nor money, nothing in the
wide world but an old empty pocketbook, and the skill that lay in
his ten finger tips. Tommy seemed to understand the question and
the sigh which followed his answer, for after a moment of deep
thought, he suddenly broke out,

"Look here, I'll tell you what I'll do. If you will hunt eggs for me, I
hate it, I'll give you one egg out of every dozen. You keep account,
and when you've had twelve, Mother Bhaer will give you
twenty-five cents for 'em, and then you can buy what you like,
don't you see?"

"I'll do it! What a kind feller you are, Tommy!" cried Nat, quite
dazzled by this brilliant offer.

"Pooh! that is not anything. You begin now and rummage the barn,
and I'll wait here for you. Granny is cackling, so you're sure to find
one somewhere," and Tommy threw himself down on the hay with