"Oh, Mr. Ryan!" burst forth Tode. "What is this reading on these leaves?"
"Why, Tode, what's up now; forgot how to read?"
"Oh bother, no; but I mean where did it come from. It's tore out of a book, don't you see?"
"Piece of a Bible," answered Mr. Ryan, giving the leaves a careless and the boy a searching glance. "What is there so interesting about it?"
"What's it got such a queer name for? What does H-a-b-a-k-k-u-k spell, and what does it mean?"
"That's a man's name, I believe."
"Who was he, and what about him?"
"More than I know, my boy. Never heard of him before that I know of. What do you care?"
It was Tode's turn to bestow a searching glance.
"Got a Bible of your own?" he asked at last.