“Two spoons with but a single dish! How touching!” cried Herbert, posing in pretended admiration of the pair, yet covertly watching his chance to add a third spoon to the two and get his own taste of the luxury.
Not but that all had been served likewise, at the regular meal earlier in the day, and Monty’s boasted appetite was but a part of the happy foolishness of their youth and high spirits.
For they were all evidently greatly excited over something, and the talk fell back upon “choice” and “points” and “colors” with a comparison of manes and tails, till Dorothy sprang up, clapped her hands over her ears, and demanded:
“One at a time! One at a time! Do tell me what you’re all jabbering about and be quick! Just because I was lazy—I admit it, all right—I don’t want to miss all the fun! Tell me!”
But her answer did not come from any of the lively group about her. A shadow fell across the floor and Captain Lem appeared at the window. Leaning his elbows on the low sill he surveyed the interior with a quizzical smile, then observed:
“If everybody’s et all they can and has got time for somethin’ elst, please to step over to the corral behind the Barracks. Time there was somethin’ doin’! Come on, Little One. I’d like to have you head the procesh, for ’twas the Boss’s orders, first pick for you. Hep, hep, hep—march!”