Part 42 (2/2)
”Poppa's going to wash _you_,” he said, with unction.
”Wot for?” demanded Vada. ”We ain't done nothin'.”
”'Cos you needs it,” replied the loafer, uncomfortably avoiding the blandly questioning eyes.
”Ugh!” interjected Jamie.
”We ain't as dirty as you,” said Vada, after a thoughtful pause.
Sunny busied himself laying out the utensils on the gra.s.siest spot he could find. Toby glanced round after depositing the laundry department. He guffawed loudly, and went on with his work. Sunny's face went a dirty scarlet, but he refrained from retort. And promptly little Vada went on.
”I don't want bath,” she protested plaintively. And Jamie chorused in with a grunt of agreement, while he busied himself trying to climb up the sides of the tub.
Scipio s.n.a.t.c.hed him away, and looked round weakly for support. It came in a sharp command from Bill, who had seated himself on a fallen tree-trunk.
”Git busy,” he ordered. ”Set that doggone water in the tub, an' Sunny ken dip the boiler full of cold. You boys ken do that while Zip gets the kids ready. Guess he'll likely know best wher' the strings an'
b.u.t.tons is.”
His orders were silently executed by the men. But the children had no awe of the gambler, and their protests were many and querulous.
However, the tub was filled satisfactorily, and Scipio finally succeeded in fumbling the clothes off the children.
It was a curious scene. Scipio moved about with an air of the mildest perplexity. Sunny slouched through his work as though it were the hardest of labor, although he was really enjoying himself. Toby was grinning all over his face with huge enjoyment, while Sandy performed his share with such an aspect of care that his labors might have been of an absolutely epoch-making nature. Bill suggested simple authority.
The ”kids” must be bathed, and he was going to see it done.
When all preparations had been made, Scipio became the chief operator, and each man took up his position where best he could witness the process. There was something so mildly stimulating to these ruffians in observing the clumsy lavering of two small children. They all appreciated cleanliness in theory; it was only the practice that they were unaccustomed to, and here it was being demonstrated before their interested eyes. They watched Scipio's efforts for some moments in silence, while he, with gentle persuasion, overcame each childish protest. He did it in such a kindly, patient way that very soon these small atoms of humanity, sitting facing each other cross-legged in the tub, gained ample confidence, and gave expression to infantile delight by splas.h.i.+ng each other with water, and incidentally treating their father to an even less welcome bath.
They laughed and crowed and chattered while their father plied the house-flannel, and only were their piping voices quiet at such moments as their small round faces were smothered with soapsuds, or lost in the embracing folds of the none too savory cloth.
But on the part of the spectators, their interest would not permit of long silence. And it was Sandy Joyce, quite irrepressible where advice was concerned, who found it necessary to interfere.
”Ain't you rubbin' 'em too hard?” he questioned, after prolonged cogitation.
Scipio turned to reply in the midst of swabbing Jamie's lower limbs.
He was holding one foot dangerously high in the air, and the movement caused him to upset the child's balance, so that his upper part promptly disappeared beneath the frothing suds. A wild splas.h.i.+ng and yell from Vada warned her father of the threatened tragedy, and Jamie was hauled up, coughing and spluttering. The little man, with scared face, sought at once to pacify the frightened child, while Sunny withered the interfering widower with a few well-chosen words.
”Say, you'd b.u.t.t in an' tell folk they wasn't nailin' up your coffin right,” he cried angrily. ”Will you kep that instrument o' foolishness o' yours quiet fer ten minutes?”
Sandy flushed.
”They ain't got hides like hogs,” he grumbled. ”They needs handlin'
easy. Say, jest look what he's doin' now. What's--”
He broke off, and all eyes watched Scipio's movements as he turned Jamie over, and, supporting his dripping body in the crook of his arm, plied the flannel upon the boy's back. The moment was a tense one.
Then a sigh of relief went up as the child dropped back in the water with a splash.
”I ain't never see kids handled that way,” cried the disgusted Sandy, unable to keep silence any longer. Then, as no one seemed inclined to question his statement, he went on, ”Wot I sez is, kids needs women-folk to do they things right. Zip's handlin' 'em like raw beef.”
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