“Well, what did he say?”
“Only grinned at first.”
“Well, what then?”
“He said it would have taken so long and been so expensive, because we should have had to send an army of men on first to make a road all the way we were going.”
“Which means he was laughing at you.”
“Grinning, I call it. But I suppose he’s right, because when you come to think of it, there’ll be no track, and a lot of our travelling will be in and out among the mountains. There, that’s the last door,” said Chris with a sigh, as there was a loud bang following the creaking of hinges that had been rarely used. Directly after, Griggs’ hammer came into play, making the horses restive and back away from the noise to the full extent of their reins.
“Yes,” said Ned, with a sigh, “the last door. I say, Chris, now it has come to it, don’t you feel a bit sorry to go away from the old place?”
“Horribly,” said the boy in a low, husky voice. “What fun we used to have!”
“Yes,” said Ned, “before everything got to be so dull because things failed so and made my father so low-spirited.”
“He wasn’t so low-spirited as my father was; but I s’pose there wasn’t much difference,” replied Chris, to the accompaniment of Griggs’ hammer and the fidgeting of his nag. “Quiet, will you, stupid! He isn’t going to hurt you.”