40 LUCY AMONG THE MOUNTAINS.

“Sir?” said Lucy.

“Tt is not a military inspection; it is only an
inspection of my farm.”

“ An’t there any soldiers?” said Lucy.

“ No,” said the farmer, “no soldiers. We in-
spect the barn, and the sheds, and shop, and then
we come into the house and inspect the rooms,
and closets, and the cellar, to see if every thing is
in order, We cannot show you any soldiers.”

“My mother said there were going to be some
soldiers,” said Lucy.

* No,” said Lucy’s mother. “I said that I
supposed they meant an inspection of soldiers.
There may be an inspection of any thing.”

Lucy was quite disappointed, when she found
that it was not to be an inspection of soldiers.

However, she concluded to go and see it, what-
ever it was ; and aecordingly, after dinner, she put
on her bonnet, and went out to the door with El-
len, and waited there for the rest to come.

In a few minutes, she saw Robert coming from
a building between one of the barns and the shed,
with a sort of a box in his hand. The box was
somewhat similar to a knife-box tn form; and, as
in a knife-box, there was a handle in the middle, .
coming up from the bottom of the box, which
Robert took hold of, and brought it by.