Part 28 (1/2)
”Just what it war, younker,” replied Cale; ”an' it's a feelin' better some, already”
Thadto have a feords with his father-in-law; and that the opportunity seemed ripe
Besides, Thad was uht be, which Jimthe deterave him one look, and then turned his head away ”I wisht yeudn't feel like yew does agin ht thar!” burst out the other, as his old te ter do wid yer, Jim Hasty Time hen I vowed ter pin yer ears ter a tree, if ever ye showed up hyar agin; an' I meant it, I shore did Then sual, an' how she sot suasted me, an' I dassent stay around whar ye was, lest I do all I'd threatened, an' it'd break her heart So I kile ray o' sunshi+ne in it sense ye stole her away But I don't forgit it, Jiive ye, er make up So don't waste yer breath atryin'”
But when Thad saw the grin on Jied His reception had been far less stormy than he had had reason to expect from all he knew of the violent te that Ji his surprise, Thad al
”I tole yeou I ki tone ”It grieved her gentle heart all this while 'cause she cudn't see yeou, Dad Martin She sez as haow it's jest gut tew stop! She wants yeou, and wants yeou bad An' so be they's another as ort tew see yeou
Here's ther e Little Lina sends tew yeou by me, her husband Sez she, 'take this tew him, an' when he sees the face o' my baby and knows thet we calls hiive yeou, Jim, fur takin' me away; an' come back tew us all Tell him ant him the wust kind, Leetle Caleb an' Lina!'”
He had thrust so into the hand of the old poacher as he spoke
Thad felt als in a yell Why, all the excite the race with the forest fire had not been a circumstance to the thrill that swept over hi at the pictured faces of mother and child on that bit of cardboard, and then, filled with a return of the old love, pressing it wildly to his bearded lips
And Thad knew, just as Jie which Lina had sent in the form of her baby's picture, had broken down the barrier of the old man's pride and obstinacy; for in anotherJim's hand convulsively
CHAPTER XXVIII
”HOME, SWEET HOME!”
”Yes, I'll go hoht o' est fool in all Maine, not ter give in, arter yer kim up hyar, riskin' yer ears ter tell one by, Jim, an' start fresh An' yer kin help me raise my foxes fur ther company thet's hired me fur five years ter run ther far as he pu Jilad he was there to witness this joyous reconciliation
The fire had passed, and left them safe Jim, when he could do so, made his way back to the cabin; and on his return announced that it was only a blackened ruin Whereupon Old Cale sighed, and then seemed to look forward to a new home, in which there would be an abundance of sunshi+ne, because Little Lina, and Caleb, the boy as naed to spend the night so started back to the caion where the fire had swept, they found the snow quite deep, and the going bad But apparently the co fla to the state of Maine was beyond coetting uneasy about hiet trace of the absent ones
They understood that the distant fire, which had not cohborhood of Old Cale's cabin, as described by Jiht now, and they received the wanderers with hearty shouts
The story, upon being told by Thad, evoked renewed cheering, especially for the old poacher who had refor to shohat he could do in a line that appealed to him especially, since he knew all about the woods' ani his burns, and the bu serious was the lorious news that Jiht, at such risk to himself, would have cured hiathered around the supper that evening; ”This is our last camp in Maine, seems like; for to-le Lake, through Lake Winthrop; and soon we'll be booood to me, fellers,” spoke up bumpus ”Always did like my home pretty well, and it never see to round, with roots diggin' holes in your sides; and all sorts of creepers crawlin' over your face Home, sweet, sweet home for me, just now!”
”But just remember that you owe us all a treat, bumpus,” spoke up Davy Jones
”Yes, we know Giraffe can make a fire that way now, because he showed us yesterday, as easy as anything; but when I tried it, never a spark could I get,” and Step Hen looked disgusted because of his lack of knowledge