“Listen; the sparks will catch the trees in the wood. There will be a hiss, a flame. How the people will run, scamper, and tumble! They will tumble about like ninepins in their fright; and how their hair will catch fire! But the flames will run faster. Hurrah, what a bonfire that will be!”
He sprang to his feet, he leaped about, swinging his arms; his teeth flashed. Kitty thought he looked like a small tiger.
“But you would be burned yourself,” she said, with a gleam in her eyes.
“Oh, I am brave! I don’t mind pain!” said the boy, beginning to strike the stones once more with a fine flourish. Bang went the uplifted stone down upon his thumb, and hit it with a great thump. The boy set up a roar, like that of forty cross babies.
“Oh! o-oh! O-o-o-h-h! Daddy Coax—Da-addy Coax!” he shouted, flinging down the stones and running off with all the speed of his legs.
“Daddy Coax! I wonder who Daddy Coax is? It sounds a nice name!” thought Kitty. Then she continued: “Setting the world on fire! with the dear little birds, and the pussies, and the faithful dogs in it! And there would be the old people, and the crippled children who can’t run!”
The thought of Johnnie seemed to knock at her heart, yet she did not remember distinctly. She seemed to hear the eager, uneven thump of his crutch. Again her little heart ached with the confused sense of pain. She walked on faster.
She made her way toward a wood that seemed the only pretty spot near. As she approached it she nearly fell over a wee girl who was kneeling, watching a lovely butterfly, with wings like quivering flowers, twinkling and hovering near the ground. As it rested to stretch its bright body for a moment, down came the clinched little fist and crushed the happy winged creature.
“Oh, how could you?” cried Kitty.