by Peter sat always on the edge of his chair, always with a bit of
a smile on his face, never talking much, always agreeing good-naturedly.
Beside Peter and at The Chief's left was Jack, who wriggled constantly
like a young eel.

After the boys were seated and quiet, The Chief pushed back his work, a
plan of his summer's garden, leaned back in his chair and said, "I think
first we had better take up your reports." Then he pointed at Jay who
began: "Well, when Albert and I asked father for a piece of the garden
for our very own to work exactly as we pleased this summer, with no
questions asked or answered, he laughed. He said that Albert wouldn't
stick to it a day."

"I will, just the same," shouted out Albert quite red in the face.

"Just keep out of this, Savage, until I get through."

The man laid a restraining hand on Albert's arm and Jay continued: "But
I begged father, and told him we'd always worked for him, and he might
let us try for ourselves. Besides, I told him we'd not shirk his work.
So finally he said we each could have the ten hills in the corn patch
for the experiment, just as you wished. And then--"

"And then," broke in Albert, unable longer to contain himself, "what do
you think he gave us? It's just no use trying, for he gave us an old
piece of land below the barn. It's a regular old swamp; why, water
stands there the whole spring long, and it takes half the summer to dry
it out. Then it gets hard as a brick. Now what is the use of trying on
that?"

"We'll take it just the same, and so we told father," continued Jay. "We
have just got to make that old land do something."

The Chief nodded and pointed to George for his report. "Same here,"
began George. "My father wouldn't listen at all at the first; then he
said I might have the hills of corn. He threw in also an old side slope
which he thinks is too poor for any use." George sank back in his chair
in a quite dejected manner.

It was now Jack's turn. "You see," he began at his lightning rate, "we
haven't much land anyway, seeing as we live in the village. I can have
the backyard, such as it is, but that's precious little use. It's never
been used for a garden, and it's full of rock. One of our neighbours
says I may have a piece of her corn patch for my corn, if I'll take care
of hers, too. Of course I took her offer. Just had to."

Peter took his turn last, as usual. "We have no place at our home; too
much lawn, and mother will not have it