FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94  
95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   >>   >|  
vered that at the far edge a fine large brook was running, apparently and in some mysterious way, escaping at that point the contamination of the mud, although he could see that farther on it lost itself in the swamp. But its cool, sparkling waters were a heavenly sight, and, walking back, he announced his discovery to the others. "All of you know what you can do," he said. "We do," said Paul. "First thought in my mind," said Shif'less Sol. "An' we'll do it," said Long Jim. "Now!" said Silent Tom. They took off their clothing, scraped from it as much mud as they could, and took a long and luxurious bath in the brook. Then they came out on the bank and let themselves dry, the night which had now fully come, fortunately being warm. As they lay in the grass they felt a great content, and Long Jim gave it utterance. "An o-sis is a fine thing," he said. "I'm glad you invented 'em, Paul, 'cause I don't know what we'd a-done without this un." Henry rose and began to dress. The others did likewise. "I think we'd better eat the rest of Tom's fish and then go to sleep," he said. "Tomorrow morning we'll have to hold a grand council, and consider the question of food, as I think we're very likely to stay in here quite a while." "Are you really looking for a long stay?" asked Paul. "Yes, because the Indians will be beating up the woods for us so thoroughly that it will be best for us not to move from our hiding place. It's a fine swamp! A glorious swamp! And because it's so big and black and miry it's all the better for us. The only problem before us is to get food." "And we always get it somehow or other." They wrapped themselves in their blankets to keep off any chill that might come later in the night, lay down under the boughs of the dwarf oaks, and slept soundly until the next day, keeping no watch, because they were sure they needed none. Tom Ross himself never opened his eyes once until the sun rose. Then the problem of food, imminent and pressing, as the last of the fish was gone, presented itself. "I think that branch is big enough to hold fish," said Tom Ross, bringing forth his hook and line again, "an' ef any are thar they'll be purty tame, seein' that the water wuz never fished afore. Anyway I'll soon see." The others watched him anxiously, as he threw in his bait, and their delight was immense, when a half hour's effort was rewarded with a half dozen perch, of fair size and obviously s
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94  
95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

problem

 

soundly

 

boughs

 
beating
 
hiding
 

glorious

 
wrapped
 

blankets

 

watched

 

anxiously


Anyway
 

fished

 

delight

 

rewarded

 

immense

 
effort
 

Indians

 

imminent

 

pressing

 
opened

needed

 
presented
 

branch

 

bringing

 

keeping

 

luxurious

 

mysterious

 
escaping
 

clothing

 

scraped


fortunately

 

Silent

 

announced

 

discovery

 

walking

 

sparkling

 

waters

 

heavenly

 

farther

 

contamination


thought

 

content

 

council

 

question

 

morning

 

Tomorrow

 
invented
 

apparently

 

utterance

 

running