The interested and somewhat amazed group standing around the gun was now joined by Jenny.
“Them’s Susan’s loads,” she said to Phil. “She put ’em in when she took the gun up to her room. She wanted to make sure it wouldn’t go off.”
“And she certainly did make sure of it!” cried Phil, as his uncle pulled the cotton from the other barrel.
Phil was now obliged to tell the story of Susan and the gun, though he touched so lightly upon the bad points of it that Chap stuck his hands in his pockets and strutted up and down in disgust. Mr. Berkeley understood the story quite well, although he chose to say little about it.
“Susan is a prudent woman,” he remarked, “and her cotton loads have probably saved at least one of our lives.”
CHAPTER XXIX.
THE ONE FELLOW WHO WAS LEFT YET.
During the morning, Mr. Berkeley and Phil were busily engaged in farm affairs with Jenny’s father and Joel. Chap had thought of going home, but Mr. Berkeley had urged him not to break up the family party so soon, and Mr. Muller remained until he should have an opportunity of entering upon his own business.
Chap was delighted when he saw the man with the black straw hat sitting alone under one of the trees on the lawn, but it cannot be truthfully said that the heart of Mr. Muller leaped very high for joy when he saw the long-legged boy striding down upon him.
“What about that wreck?” said Chap. “I’ve been just aching for a chance to speak to you. We ought to go right to work. It won’t do to let this family slide back again into misery the very minute they’ve got a little hoist out of it. From what I can make out, there’ll be lots of money wanted yet. And that wreck has got to be bounced out of the mud in short order. I suppose you are all ready to pitch right in. Have you told Mr. Berkeley what you’re here for?”