They sat for a long time in silence, broken suddenly by the Butcher's voice, not so gruff as usual.
"Say, Big Man—feeling sort of homesick?"
No answer.
"Just a bit?"
Still no answer. The Butcher looked down, and saw the Big Man struggling desperately to hold in the sobs.
"Here, none of that, youngster!" he exclaimed in alarm. "Brace up, old man!"
"I—I'm all right," said the Great Big Man with difficulty. "It's nothing."
The Butcher patted him on the shoulder, and then drew his arm around the little body. The Big Man put his head down and blubbered, just as though he had been a little fellow, while his companion sat perplexed, wondering what to do or say in the strange situation.
"So he's a little homesick, is he?" he said lamely.