Picking himself up rather crestfallen, Larry went at his task more judiciously than at first, so that in a few minutes he was doing nearly as well as Rob.
But it was hard work for these green hands, and though Little Hickory stuck to his task with commendable perseverance, Larry soon tired of it. Tom and Jerry had gone off to chase a bird, and he could not see why he should toil so while the others were enjoying themselves, so he threw his shovel into the bushes and followed after his younger companions.
Rob said nothing, keeping steadily at his work, soon turning over a good square of sod.
Joe Willet, having seen where Larry had flung his shovel, went and got the tool, and began herself to imitate Rob with a hearty good will.
“Stop, Joe,” said Rob, “this is no work for girls to do. There are enough of us boys to do this.”
“I wish I was a boy, so I could,” she said. “A girl does not seem to amount to much out here. I am afraid——”
“You’re afraid of nothing, Joe. There is enough for you to do in the house.”
“I am afraid Larry does not like work so well as you do, Rob.”
“P’raps he’ll do better next time, Joe. I did not want to scold him the first time. I don’t see where Chick and Ruddy are. I am more anxious about ’em.”
This anxiety on the part of Rob increased as the afternoon wore away without seeing the return of the two boys, and just as the sun was sinking toward the tree-tops in the west, Rob shouldered his shovel and started toward the coal camps with his companions, resolved to go in search of the missing ones.