"No, darling," she replied. "You are not old enough to go so far. When you are a bigger boy, you shall go after the cattle, and go a-hunting with father, too, if you like."
"Oh, dear!" he exclaimed, impatiently, "when shall I be a bigger boy? You never will let me go far enough to see the prairie-dogs hold a town-meeting!"
The large brown eyes looked up very imploringly.
Mr. Wharton smiled and said,—
"Jenny, you do keep the little fellow tied pretty close to your apron-string. Perhaps you had better let him go this time."
Thus reinforced, the petted boy redoubled his importunities, and finally received permission to go, on condition that he would be very careful not to wander away from his brother. Charley promised not to trust him out of his sight; and the men said, if they were detained till dark, they would be sure to put the boys in a safe path to return home before sunset. Willie was equipped for the excursion, full of joyous anticipations of marvellous adventures and promises to return before sunset and tell his parents about everything he had seen. His mother kissed him, as she drew the little cap over his brown locks, and repeated her injunctions over and over again. He jumped down both steps of the piazza at once, eager to see whether Uncle George and Charley were ready. His mother stood watching him, and he looked up to her with such a joyful smile on his broad, frank face, that she called to him,—
"Come and kiss me again, Willie, before you go; and remember, dear, not to go out of sight of Uncle George and Charley."
He leaped up the steps, gave her a hearty smack, and bounded away.
When the party started, she stood a little while gazing after them. Her husband said,—
"What a pet you make of that boy, Jenny. And it must be confessed he is the brightest one of the lot."