XV
THE REDSKINS' WAY
Of course Timothy Turtle was glad that Johnnie Green was gone. But he was far from happy, lying helpless on his back on the bank of Black Creek.
He told Mr. Crow that he hoped Johnnie would forget to come back again—a remark which made old Mr. Crow laugh. Being very wise, he saw at once that Timothy Turtle knew next to nothing about boys.
"I should think," Mr. Crow told Timothy, "you'd want Johnnie Green to return."
"Why?" Timothy snapped out his question[p. 71] in an angry tone, as he lay there upside down and stared at old Mr. Crow, who sat in a tree near-by.
"Well," Mr. Crow answered, "who'll set you on your feet again if he doesn't?"
"Don't you worry about me!" Timothy Turtle sneered. "I'll right myself as soon as there's a freshet. If there's a big enough rain the creek will rise as high as I am now. And nobody could keep me on my back in the water."
Old Mr. Crow actually snickered.
"You might have to wait till next spring for a freshet," he said cheerfully. "And what would you eat meanwhile?"