"
"Master Hal!" exclaimed Purday, "don't throw them little apples
about."
"They are red-hot shot, Purday!"
"I'll red-hot shot you if you break my cucumber frames, young
gentleman! Come, get out with you."
Probably anxiety made Purday cross as well as everyone else, or else
he distrusted Henry's discretion without Sam, for he hunted the
little boys away wherever they went. Now they would break the
cucumber frames; now they would meddle with the gooseberries, or
trample on the beds; and at last he only relented so far as to let
David stay with him on condition of being very good, and holding the
little cabbages as he planted them out.
"Master Davie was a solemn one," Purday said, and they were great
friends; but Hal and Johnnie were fairly turned out, as their idle
hands were continually finding fresh mischief to do in their
sauntering desultory mood.
"I think," said Hal, "since Purday is so savage, we'll go and look
out at the gate, and then we shall see if the telegraph comes."
Johnnie had no clear idea what a telegraph was, and was curious to
know how it would come, rather expecting it to be a man in a red coat
on horseback, blowing a horn--a sight that certainly was not to be
missed; so he willingly strolled down after Henry to the gate leading
to the lane.
Pages:
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175