"Ain't that just my luck?" says Henry. "Where could I scrape up enough
money to move to Texas, I'd like to know?"

"Think you'd like to go, do you?" I asks.

"Course I would," says Gummidge. "It would do my rheumatism good. And,
then, I'd like to see old Jim again. But Gosh! It would take more 'n a
hundred dollars to get us all out there, and I ain't had that much at
once since I don't know when."

"Still," says I, "the thing might be financed. I'll see what can be
done." Meaning that I'd put it up to Mr. Robert and Vee.

"Why, surely!" says Vee. "And wouldn't that be splendid for them all?"

"You may put me down for fifty," says Mr. Robert. "If he'll move to
China I'll double it."

But Nebo seemed to be far enough off to be safe. And it was surprisin'
how easy we stood it when the tickets was all bought and the time came
to say good-bye to the Gummidges. As I remember, we was almost merry
over it. Even Mr. Robert has to shoot off something he thinks is
humorous.

"When you all get to Nebo," says he, "perhaps the old mountain will be a
little less lonely."

"And if anybody offers to give you a steer down there," says I, "don't
refuse. It might be just tin-horn advice, but then again he might mean a
long-horn beef."

As usual Henry is the only gloom in the party. He shakes his head.
"Brother Jim only keeps sheep," says he, "and I never did like mutton
much, nohow. Maybe I won't live to git there, though. Seems like an
awful long ways to go."

But they did land there safe enough, for about a week or ten days later
Vee gets a postcard from Ma Gummidge sayin' that it was lucky they got
there just as they did for they found Brother Jim pretty sick. She was
sure she'd have him prancin' around again soon, and she couldn't say how
much she thanked us all for what we'd done.

And with that the Gummidges sort of fades out. Not another word comes
from 'em. Must have been a year and a half ago they went. More, I
expect. We had one or two other things to think of meanwhile. You know
how easy it is to forget people like that, specially when you make up
your mind that they're sort of crossed off for good. And after a spell
if somebody mentioned Texas maybe I'd recall vague that I knew someone
who was down there, and wonder who it was.

Then here the other afternoon comes Vee with this announcement that the
Gummidges were back. Do you wonder I didn't give way to any wild,
uncontrolled joy? I could see us goin' through t