"Want to see how far I can throw one?" boasted Artie. "Just you watch."
They were on the Marley lawn, and Mrs. Marley had cautioned them not to throw any of the lighted firecrackers toward the house. So now Artie, in his best pitching form, hurled a lighted cracker toward the road.
It went further than his fondest hopes encouraged him to expect. That lighted cracker landed in the middle of the road, beyond the sidewalk.
"Good gracious!" whispered Polly suddenly. "There's Mrs. Pepper's pet rooster. You don't suppose he will try to eat it, do you?"
"He is!" Jess shrieked. "I'm not going to look!" and she put her hands over her ears as though they would prevent her seeing what might be going to happen.
MR. KIRBY'S PACKAGE
Mrs. Pepper, Carrie's mother, was very proud of her chickens. She spent a good deal of time and money in caring for them, and they were seldom allowed to stray from their own runs. But sometimes, as on an extremely warm day, she would let them out for a change of scene, and it must be stated that her neighbors did not like their subsequent behavior. Mrs. Pepper's chickens visited all the gardens and scratched up neat lawns and entered into battles with the dogs and cats who tried to argue the right of way with them.