Page:Castlemon--Joe Wayring at Home.djvu/71

 our affairs are managed," answered Arthur, who did not quite like the tone in which Tom uttered these words. "You must know that we are not copying the aborigines, but the Merry Bowmen of Robin Hood's time. Of course we have to work, for if we didn't we couldn't give exhibition drills; but somehow we see plenty of fun with it all. The idea was suggested to us, not by our histories, but by an old man who lives up here in the woods," added Arthur, turning to Loren, at the same time jerking his thumb over his shoulder and nodding his head toward an indefinite point of the compass. If he intended by these motions to give his auditors an idea of the direction in which the old man referred to lived, he failed completely. "He has seen better days. He used to belong to an archery club in his own country—that's England, you know—and I tell you he is a boss shot. He makes a very good living with his bow now; but he is so much ashamed of the accomplishment—"

"Excuse me," interrupted Loren. "I don't see why he should be ashamed of it."

"Neither do I," said Arthur. "But you see,