“Y’see,” explained Vada, with sisterly patronage, “he didn’t orter picked the apple.”
Jamie nodded without understanding.
“’Ess.”
“Wal,” went on Scipio, taking advantage of the pause, “he was nigh drownded, an’ he had to swim an’ swim, an’ then he built himself a ranch.”
“Barn,” cried Sandy, unable to keep quiet any longer. “It was a barn to kep his stock in.”
“Ark,” said Toby decidedly. “He built a Nore’s Ark––same as toys kiddies plays with.”
“But Bill said Sunny’s yarn goes,” protested the troubled Scipio. And, receiving an affirmatory nod from the preoccupied gambler, he went on. “Wal, he set that ranch afloat, an’ put out a boat an’ rescued all the other animals, an’ bugs, an’ spiders, an’ things, an’ then set out a duck to see how things was going––”
“Not a duck, Zip,” said Sunny, shaking his head sorrowfully.
“Course not,” agreed Sandy scornfully.
“Pigeon,” suggested Toby.