In Camp on the Big Sunflower

Produced by John Argus, Charles Franks and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team.
Hey, Bandy-legs, what d'ye suppose ails Toby there?
He sure looks like he'd just seen a ghost, for a fact, Steve. Where are Max and his cousin Owen just now?
Oh, they walked down along the river bank to look for signs of fresh-water clams. So we'll just have to run things ourselves, Bandy. Hello! there, Toby, what under the sun are you staring at? and the boy called Steve jumped to his feet as he called out.
It was night in the woods, with a cheery camp fire blazing close to where the restless river fretted and scolded along its crooked course.
The boy called Toby, whose last name happened to be Jucklin, also scrambled to his feet when thus hailed by his campmate, Steve Dowdy.
He was a broad-shouldered chap, unusually husky in build, and apparently as strong as an ox; but all his life poor Toby had been afflicted with an unfortunate impediment in his speech that gave him no end of trouble.
When the third boy also stood erect it was plain to see how he came by his name. His legs were bowed, and appeared too short for his body. Now open up and tell us what you saw, Toby, demanded Steve, who was by nature inclined to be what his chums called bossy.
L-l-land's sake, didn't you s-s-see it, fellows? asked the troubled one, his voice trembling with the excitement under which he was laboring.
Stick a pin in him, Steve, advised Bandy-legs; that's the easiest way to make him talk straight English, you know.
Don't you dare try it, now, I tell you, warned the other, forgetting to even stutter in his indignation. I'm going to tell you about it just when I'm good and ready. G-get that, now?