"'Deed does he," said Alice, as if she were glad she was no longer to have the teaching of him.
"Grandpapa," said Maggie, "may we take Flossy up to the house now, so that he may be used to us before we go home?"
Grandpapa said they might, and Maggie told Bessie that she should carry him.
"I'll only carry him half the way," said Bessie, "and you can carry him the yest."
But Flossy had no mind to be carried at all. He liked to frisk about on his own four feet, and was quite ready to run after his little mistresses. Indeed, the puppies were all so well pleased with their new playmates that the other two wished to go also, and Donald had to shut them up to prevent them from following.
Grandpapa said they would not go directly home, but through the orchard, and so down to the river bank. In the orchard the men were picking the early apples and packing them in barrels, and grandpapa, going to one of them, chose two large rosy-cheeked apples and gave one to Maggie and one to Bessie. They stood a while watching the men, and then turned to go on.
Between the orchard and the river lay a broad green field, and in this field several cows and a large flock of sheep were feeding. Now Bessie, although she was not a timid child about many things, was afraid of cattle; and as Mr. Duncan opened the gate into the field, she drew back.
"Grandpa," she said, "bettern't we go the other way?"
"I think not," said grandpapa. "This way is the pleasantest, and I have something to show you down by the water."