Darry groaned horribly. Burd, with muffled laughter, replied:
“Don’t know how long we can stay. Something seems to be the matter here. I think old Darry’s sick. And I never was so hungry in all my life.”
“Oh, don’t let that worry you,” Sally Moon broke in. “I’ve a nice lunch which you can share, Burd.”
“That’s fine,” said the cruel Burd. “I guess I sha’n’t starve. Amy, here, is going to share hers with me too. Always well to be prepared against famine.”
The Water Thrush was now near enough for the girls from New Melford to see who was in the launch. Belle Ringold gave voice to her disdain as usual:
“For the land’s sake! Have Amy and Jess tagged along with you, Mr. Drew? How perfectly horrid!”
CHAPTER XII
THE DOGTOWN TRIBE
Burd said, later, with a chuckle, that at this speech Amy sputtered worse than the Water Thrush itself. But Jessie pinched her chum’s arm and warned her to be still.
“What does it matter, Amy?” she said. “Belle says it because she knows we have the best of the argument. We have deliberately put ourselves up as a target for her sharp tongue. We knew we were doing it, didn’t we?”
“All right,” grumbled Amy. “But I do hope we will get the best of Belle some time.”