Page:Harold Titus--Timber.djvu/109

Rh "Look! Looky!"

"At what?"

"There! Somepin— "

"A kic-kic," said Bessy.

Bobby grinned. "She means a cricket. That's what it is. I fought it was somepin worse."

Taylor smiled, seeing the ruse, commented casually and started on.

"Did you see Black Joe?" Bobby was standing on the shore side of the bar now, toes almost in the water, and Bessy was beside him, finger in her mouth, wide-eyed in expectancy at this game she knew so well.

"Yes, I saw Joe. Why?"

"Oh—we seen—saw him too."

Bessy waved a hand at the river behind her.

"We see wog go by-by," she trebled.

Her brother smiled and straightened her sunbonnet. "She says, we watch the logs go by," he interpreted.

"Wotta wog—wotta big wog."

"That means lots of big logs. She don't talk very plain."

Pause. Bobby broke it hastily, for pauses were dangerous.

"Did you see Aunty May? Was she all right?"

Taylor laughed heartily and said that Aunty May appeared in good health and squatted on the brink. This change, forecasting a visit, made Bobby grin.

"Aunty May says you need a—a—a—now, you know what Grandpa Humpy Bryant is?"

"An editor?"

"Nope. What he is for Bessy an' me. "

"He's your guardian, isn't—"