Every eye turned to look at the old sofa, and Mr. Gilroy had great difficulty in keeping his face straight. Finally the erstwhile owner of the sofa said: “Horses don’t like hair for bedding.”
Julie retorted: “Because it makes them dream of what all the tails and manes come to when they die!”
This caused a laugh, and Joan added: “Anyway, a horse in camp—’specially a scout horse—can’t be choosers about bedding. They are glad to get what is to be had.”
Mr. Lee laughingly replied to this: “I’m glad I’m not a scout horse.”
Mrs. Vernon now turned to her sister-in-law and said: “I’m curious to hear what donations you found to bring out?”
“Oh, Pete told me there was a loft full of furniture over the old stables. So I rummaged and found all I could manage.”
“That reminds me, Mrs. Ormsby! We have not added your gifts to these because we could not carry them up the slope. They were too heavy,” explained Mr. Lee.
“My goodness me! More stuff?” exclaimed Ruth.
“Yes, but I think you will be pleased with my donations,” said Mrs. Ormsby, apologetically. “I heard how you had to manage with this poor camp-fire, so I brought a kitchen stove that was stored in the loft. I also——” but the lady got no further at that time.
The scouts laughed so that some of them doubled over and rocked back and forth. Even Mrs. Vernon had to laugh at her relative’s pity.