ter Joseph, I shall
be obliged to complain to your poor ma," said nurse.

"Get out!" I said; "Jimmy won't hurt you; and though it don't show,
he's as clean as a new pin."

"He isn't clean; he can't be, dear. How can any one be clean who don't
wear clothes, Master Joseph? and look at his toes."

Nurse Brown always fell foul of Jimmy's toes. They fidgeted her, for
they were never still. In fact Jimmy's toes, which had never probed the
recesses of a pair of boots, were more like fingers and thumbs, and had
a way of twiddling about when he was supposed to be standing still--
stand perfectly still he never did--and these toes belonged to feet that
in climbing he could use like hands. More than once I've seen him pick
stones off the ground--just like a monkey, nurse said--or stand talking
to any one and keep his attention while he helped himself to something
he wanted with his feet.

"There, be off Jimmy," I said, for I wanted to stop indoors.

"Come kedge fis."

"No, not to-day."

"Hi--wup--wup--wup!"

Jimmy threw himself into an attitude, snatching a small hatchet from the
waistband of his trousers, and made believe to climb a tree, chop a hole
larger, and draw out an animal, which he seemed to be swinging round by
its tail.

"No, not to-day, Jimmy," I cried.

"Sleep, sleep," said Jimmy, imitating a kangaroo by giving a couple of
hops into the verandah, where he chose a sunny place, well haunted by
flies, curled up, and went to sleep.

"Good morning!" cried a hearty voice, and I ran out to welcome our
neighbour the doctor, whose horse's hoofs had not been heard, and who
was now fastening the rein to the hook in one of the verandah posts.

"Well, Joe," he said as I shook hands and looked up admiringly in his
bold well-bearded face.

"Well, doctor, I'm so glad you've come; walk in."

"Ah! nurse," he cried; "how well you look!"

"Yes, yes; but I am glad you're come," she said. "I want you to look at
Master Joseph."

"I did look at him."

"Isn't he feverish or something, sir? He's that restless as never was."

"Sign he's growing," cried the doctor. "How's mamma?"

"Oh, she's pretty well," I said. "Gone to lie down."

"That's right," said the doctor. "I had to come and look at Bowman's
broken arm, so I came on here to beg a bit of dinner."

"I'm so glad!" I said: for Jimmy, the half-wild black, was my only
companion, there being no boys within miles of our run; "stop a week and
have some fi