“No.”
“Well, I’ll tell you—they’re pison!”
“Poison!” ejaculated the others, in horror at the thrilling whisper in which Mrs. Pratt hurled this word at them.
“Yes, pison! Hain’t you ever heerd the old lines,
‘In the months without the “R,”
Clams a deadly pison are’?
That means May, June, July, and August. Another verse, says,
’In August, May, July, and June,
All shell fishes lead to ruin.’
That means, you see, that in the summer months these things are as bad as pison.”
“What shall we do?” cried Jiggins, after a long, despairing silence, in which these fearful words sank deep into the hearts of all. “What shall we do?”
“Well,” said Mrs. Pratt, with a benevolent smile, “you’d ort ter be thankful that you’ve got me. I am jest the person to treat your case. I’ve got the medicine all ready. If you take it in time, you may avoid trouble. As there’s only been a few minutes sence you ate the pison clams, p’raps you may get off without much pain. I’ve jest got some herb tea, some drinks of different kinds, some mustard poultices, and two or three more mixtures for you. I won’t bleed any of you if I can help it. Only jest give yourselves up to me, and trust to me. But there must be no delay. I have the mixtures all ready.”
Saying this, Mrs. Pratt rose like an ogress, and advanced upon the unhappy boys. Filled with fears of poison, looking upon her as their only safety, they made no resistance, but swallowed, one by one, the nauseous mixtures which were given. And still she stood over them, talking about the danger before them, and forcing upon them more medicaments.
Then came the mustard plasters.