"I left it out in—your berry pasture."
"Out in my berry pasture! So you have been stealing my berries, hey? What about your bucket?"
Mirandy's little hands clutched and opened at her sides, her face was quite pale, but she looked straight up at Cap'n Moseby. "You took it," said she.
Cap'n Moseby looked straight back at her, frowning terribly; then, to her great astonishment, his mouth twitched as if he were going to laugh. "You think I took your bucket, and you have been waiting here all this time to get it back, hey?" said he.
"Yes, sir."
"Didn't you feel afraid that I'd set the dog on you, or shoot you out of the window with my gun?"
"No, sir," said Mirandy.
"Well," said Cap'n Moseby. He paused a minute, his mouth twitched again. "You have got to come into the house and settle with me if you want your bucket," he continued, and his voice was still very grim.
Mirandy stepped up on the threshold, and the black dog growled faintly.
"Be still, Lafayette!" said Cap'n Moseby. "I'm going to settle with her. You lay down."