“I suppose he’d like you to give him another trial, Gif,” said Jack.
“Not unless he promises to do much better than he did,” was Gif’s reply.
“Well, to have somebody to do the cooking and dishwashing would help out a whole lot,” said Spouter, with a sigh. Secretly he and the others were all tired of doing the housework.
“Good afternoon, gen’leman,” said Jeff, as he bowed politely to the six boys. “Kind o’ surprised to see me, I suppose?”
“We certainly are, Jeff,” answered Gif.
“I’s got a few days’ work with Mr. Mumbleton, cleanin’ up around his store and warehouse and doin’ odd jobs at the boathouse,” explained the colored man.
“I see,” answered Gif briefly.
“Thought maybe you might be tired of doin’ the work ’round the house,” went on Jeff uneasily. “Wouldn’t you like me to cook a first-class dinner for you? I’m jest achin’ to do it.”
“It’s only your confounded laziness, Jeff, that made us send you off,” answered Gif. “If you could get over that you’d be all right.”
“It wasn’t laziness, Mr. Gif. ’Twas the misery in my back. But that misery is done gone now, and I don’t think it’ll come back. And besides, I come here to tell you somethin’,” went on the colored man earnestly. “I wants to tell you somethin’ about some of them boys over to that camp yonder,” and he pointed to the eastern shore of the lake.