Three shamefaced children looked more downcast than ever at this new view of their mischief.
“I’ll ask papa to pay you for all the trouble we’ve made,” repeated Cricket.
“Wal, I dunno how I could put a money vally on it, skursely,” growled the man, “but I’ll see your pa. An’ about the lock-up. Ef you’ll promise me not to go a-dammin’ up no more streams, not even little dribblin’ things like that ’un there was, mebbe I’ll let ye off this time.”
“Oh, we promise!” cried the three, fervently, while their hearts danced jigs of joy at their escape.
“An’ tell yer pa to send Thomas over in the morning at seven o’clock sharp, an’ I an’ he’ll work at them stuns a spell. Looks like it would be considerable of a chore to hist ’em out,” said Mr. Trante, looking at the stones, through one eye.
“Come, Bruiser,” he went on, “you an’ me’s a-goin fur the caows now. Ye kin go home, young ’uns, and don’t do no more damage than ye kin help a-doin’, while ye’re going thar;” and three very subdued-looking children immediately took advantage of his permission to disappear around the curve.
The next day Thomas told Dr. Ward that he had had the hardest half-day’s work he had done in one while.
“Them crazy young ’uns will be the death o’ me,” he grumbled. “Me an’ Dan’el Trante worked up’ards of half a day to ease them stuns up. An’ the next time they go to dammin’ up creeks, I ’low they better do suthin’ else with the time.”
And the children concluded they would.