“What! the bobs? Oh! he’s sure to have them ready,” said Philip. “He knows that he will get a shilling for making them, so he is sure to be there, with them all in a flower pot. Isn’t he, Harry?”
“Oh, yes!” said Harry; “he’ll have the bobs ready; he dare not do otherwise, or we should duck him in the mill-pond; shouldn’t we, Phil!”
“What a brag you are, Harry!” said Fred. “What’s the good of telling such fibs as that! Why, you wouldn’t touch him at all!”
“Well, you’ll see,” said Harry, “if the bobs are not ready.”
They soon had an opportunity of testing whether the bobs were ready or not, for an early tea was hastily partaken of, and then they set off,—Mr and Mrs Inglis having promised to come and meet them, and to help them carry home the spoils.
The boys were in too great a hurry to get down to the mill, to take any notice of the attraction they met upon the road. Harry was compelled to have one shy at the squirrel that scampered up into the chestnut tree; but with that exception not a stoppage was made, and in a very short time they came to the plank over the great ditch—the plank which replaced the one that broke when it was danced on the day that the basket of fish was lost after the visit to the fish-traps. This time, however, it was quietly crossed, and in a few minutes the figure of Dusty Bob became visible as he leaned against a post outside the mill, and smoked his pipe.
“Sarvant, young gentlemen,” said Bob, as the boys came up. “’Spected to ha’ seen yow yesterday.”
“Oh, but we have been so busy since the fire, Bob,” said Harry, and he spoke as though he really believed that they had been busy; but, if asked what they had been busy about, I think it very doubtful whether Master Harry could have given a satisfactory answer. “Never mind about that though, now,” said Harry; “where are the bobs?”
“Oh! I’ve got ’em all right,” said Bob; “but I don’t see why I couldn’t have a drop o’ beer up at t’ fire, as well as other folks.”
“Well, why didn’t you?” said Harry; “Papa had a whole barrel brought out.”