Bertie jumped from his wagon and threw the reins upon Whitefoot's back, and instantly the tame creature began to taste the grass.
"I'm going to stay here till dinner, papa; what shall I do with my donkey?"
"Take off his harness, and let him feed; I don't think he'll stray away. At any rate you can try him. You must begin to teach him to come to you when you call."
The little fellow drove the wagon under the shade of a tree; and very soon Whitefoot, finding himself at liberty, walked slowly off toward the lake, nibbling grass as he went.
"Now," said papa, "you may walk about wherever you please. You are old enough to keep out of danger. When the men come with the oxen you will see them unload."
"What are all those men doing, papa?"
"They are Irishmen whom I hire by the day to dig the cellar to our new house. Do you see these sticks driven into the ground?"
"Yes, papa, and the string tied to them. What is it for?"