FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   >>  
w marnin', and the weather holds fine, we'll be cruisin' down. In another week, or fortnight, whatever, the mail boat'll be comin' and blowin' her whistle in the offing. I tells you, Charley lad, when you comes, and when you wants to go home so bad, that when the mail boat comes back and blows her whistle in the offing, we'd be ready and waitin' for she." And so it came to pass that Charley found himself again with Skipper Zeb and his family in the little cabin at Pinch-In Tickle. How crude it had seemed to him that day when Toby led him up the path, and he had first met Skipper Zeb! How comfortable and hospitable it seemed to him now! How many memories it held for him! Early one morning there sounded the long blast of a whistle, and presently the mail boat appeared in the tickle, and came to in the offing. There was great excitement in Skipper Zeb's cabin. Charley had no time to change to the clothes in which he had arrived, but they were packed in a neat bundle, and in another bundle were the wolf and bear skins, together with many other souvenirs of the winter. Charley wished to give his rifle to Toby, but Toby declined: "Keep un yourself to remember the bear, and our other huntin'." "I'll send you and your father new ones, as I promised, anyhow," Charley assured. "Well, now, and there's the mail boat!" exclaimed Skipper Zeb. "She's come at last to take Charley away from us! And this is the end of the fix you gets in! I'm wonderful sorry to have you go, lad! We're thinkin' of you like one of the family now, and we're not wishin' to lose you." "We're all wonderful sorry!" and Mrs. Twig brushed away a tear. "Some day," said Charley, his heart full, "I'll come back to see you, and perhaps I'll bring Dad with me to show him how good you people are, and how we live in a real wilderness." "I'll be puttin' you over in the punt to the mail boat," said Toby, reluctant to bid Charley farewell. They all went down to the landing to see him off, Skipper Zeb, Mrs. Twig and Violet. He sat in the stern of the punt, as he did on the day Toby took him ashore, while Toby rowed him alongside and helped him on deck with his baggage, and then the boys grasped each other's hands in farewell. "'Twere the finest winter I ever has--with you here," and Toby's choking voice would permit him to say no more. "It was the finest winter I ever spent, too," and Charley was little less moved than Toby. "The ship's movin'. Go
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   >>  



Top keywords:
Charley
 

Skipper

 

winter

 

whistle

 

offing

 
finest
 
farewell
 

bundle

 
family
 

wonderful


wilderness

 

people

 
thinkin
 

puttin

 
wishin
 

brushed

 
permit
 
choking
 

grasped

 

Violet


landing

 

reluctant

 

helped

 

baggage

 

alongside

 

ashore

 

comfortable

 

hospitable

 

memories

 

morning


presently

 
appeared
 

tickle

 

cruisin

 

sounded

 
waitin
 

Tickle

 
fortnight
 

blowin

 
father

huntin
 

remember

 
promised
 
assured
 

exclaimed

 

declined

 
arrived
 

packed

 
clothes
 

change