“Yais, ma’am,” went on Lucy. “But, all de same, Mrs. Martin, Ah’s kinder skairt ob dem jinkses.”
“Jinkses! What do you mean?” asked Mr. Martin.
“Why, Teddy he done tole me dat de woods am filled an’ runnin’ ober wif jinkses. Dey’s animiles wif curtain tassles on der ears. Ah doan t’ink Ah’d laik ’em much, Mrs. Martin, ma’am!”
“Nonsense!” laughed Mr. Martin. “Teddy must have been talking about the lynx, or bobcat. They do have tassels, or tufts, of hair on their ears, but they won’t hurt you, Lucy!”
“No? Won’t dey, Mistah Martin?” she asked anxiously.
“No, indeed, Lucy. Ted shouldn’t have spoken of the bobcats in the woods. I don’t believe we’ll see one. But if you should, Lucy, the lynx would run as soon as it saw you.”
“Golly! He wouldn’t done run any faster dan Ah would!” chuckled the cook. “All right. Den Ah guess Ah goes!”
This much settled, there were other matters to be looked after before the trip to Mount Major could be started. As Mr. Martin had thought, the settlement of his fire loss by the insurance company would take some time. During that time his store would be in charge of a trusted man whose name was Henderson, and he could thus well afford to go to the lumber camp.
The Curlytops and Trouble were so excited over the prospect of fun in the lumber camp that nothing they played around their home now, and no sports that they took part in with their playmates, seemed to satisfy them. They were always thinking of what they would do at Mount Major, and planning picnics and excursions there.
“I’m going to set a trap and see if I can’t catch a lynx,” declared Ted.