Between lifts the sleepy ones would tumble back on the grass, amusing themselves with poking fun at one another. The dance gave them enough to talk about. But the one thing that touched them off again and again into spasms of laughter was the suggestion of Uncle Toby’s tumble from his fiddler’s perch, and Bud’s yell and flight.
“Now all together, yo-hee!” Captain Hanks shouted for the twentieth time that day. The log was beginning slowly to rise when Jim suddenly let go his hold and yelled, “Now, altogether—whoopee!”
The crowd collapsed, sinking to the ground with the big log on top of them.
“You fellows must have had a high time last night,” said Fred, “the fuss you make about it.”
“Bully time it was, Teddy,” returned Jim; “why didn’t you turn up and help swing the ranch lassies off their feet?”
“Oh, the kid’s not of our kind,” sneered Dick; “you wouldn’t catch him swinging the girls.”
“Don’t be too sure about that, Dick,” retorted Fred; “I’ll just take in the next dance to show you how.”
“Good fer you, me boy,” said Pat, “and we’ll leave Dick home to do the cookin’, next toime.”
“You’ll go damned hungry if you do,” snapped Dick.
“Oh, well, me boy, oh well,” Pat broke out singing: