e I had much to learn, and said
that really he knew of no other couple who were actually so devoted. He
said to prove it I should ask Aggie into the buggy with me and he would
get in with Archie, and afterwards we would compare notes. He drove up
alongside of them, and Aggie seemed glad to make the exchange. As we
had the buggy, we drove ahead of the wagons. It seems that Archie and
Aggie are each jealous of the other. Archie is as ugly a little monkey
as it would be possible to imagine. She bemeaned him until at last I
asked her why she didn't leave him, and added that I would not stand
such crankiness for one moment. Then she poured out the vials of her
wrath upon my head, only I don't think they were vials but barrels.

About sundown we made it to where we intended to camp and found that
Mrs. O'Shaughnessy had established a sheep-camp there, and was out with
her herd herself, having only Manny, a Mexican boy she had brought up
herself, for a herder. She welcomed us cordially and began supper for
our entire bunch. Soon the wagons came, and all was confusion for a few
minutes getting the horses put away for the night. Aggie went to her
wagon as soon as it stopped and made secure her butter and eggs
against a possible raid by Mrs. O'Shaughnessy. Having asked too high a
price for them, she had failed to sell them and was taking them back.
After supper we were sitting around the fire, Tam going over his
account and lamenting that because of his absent-mindedness he had
bought a whole hundred pounds of sugar more than he had intended, Aggie
and Archie silent for once, pouting I suspect. Clyde smiled across the
camp-fire at me and said, "Gin ye had sic a lass as I hae, ye might
blither." "Gin ye had sic a mon as mine--" I began, but Mrs.
O'Shaughnessy said, "Gin ye had sic a mon as I hae." Then we all three
laughed, for we had each heard the same thing, and we knew the
McEttricks wouldn't fight each other. They suspected us of laughing at
them, for Archie said to Aggie, "Aggie, lass, is it sport they are
making of our love?" "'T is daft they be, Archie, lad; we'll nae mind
their blither." She arose and shambled across to Archie and hunkered
her big self down beside him. We went to bed and left them peaceable
for once.

I am really ashamed of the way I have treated you, but I know you will
forgive me. I am not strong yet, and my eyes are still bothering me,
but I hope to be all right soon now, and I promise you a better let