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At that Sammy Pinkney, who prided himself on being tough and who was in training for a piratical future, broke down completely.
Ow! ow! ow! he howled, digging his grimy fist first into one eye and then into the other. I dont wanter! I dont wanter! I dont wanter
go back. I aint got nobody to play with. And mall lick me cause I said youd vited me to go an now Aggie s-s-says she didnt. And I been sick, anyway, and I cant play with the fellers, cause it tires me so.
I I I never git to go nowheres, pursued Sammy, using the most atrocious English, but utterly abandoned in his grief. You Corner House girls git all the go go good times, and I aint got even a s-s-sister to play with
At this point a most astonishing thing overtook Agnes Kenway. She had begun by glaring at Sammy in anger; but as he went on to bewail his hard state, her pretty face flushed, then paled; her blue eyes filled with tears which soon began to spill over. She drew nearer to the miserable little chap, standing, dirty and forlorn, in the middle of the road.
Now, stop that, Sammy! she suddenly blurted out. Just stop. Dont cry any more.
He cant go. There isnt room, Ruth was repeating.
Agnes turned toward the eldest Corner House girl sharply and stamped her foot.
He shall go, Ruth Kenway so there! He can squeeze in on the seat between Neale and me. Here! take that bag up, Neale ONeil. Theres room for it right in here, and she pointed. Now! stop your crying, Sammy. You shall go; but youll have to be good.
Oh, Aggie, cried the happy youngster, Ill be as good as gold. Youll see.
Well! gasped Ruth, yet not sorry that for once Agnes had usurped authority.
Mrs. Heard laughed. Dot said:
Well, its true. He hasnt any sister.
And Im sure he can be good, put in Tess, the optimist.
Neale was chuckling to himself as he put Sammys suitcase in the place indicated.
What is the matter with you , Neale ONeil? demanded Agnes, hotly, brushing the tears out of her eyes.
I was just thinking that this party has assumed a good deal of a contract, said the light-haired boy.
What for?
For reforming a pirate, said Neale.
CHAPTER IX A WAYSIDE BIVOUAC
Yuh neednt be so particular, said Sammy. Therell more dirt get on me before night.
Listen to him! groaned Ruth.
Mrs. Heard laughed. Thats what it means to have a boy in the family. Oh, I know! I brought up my nephew, Philly, for the most part. I had to watch him like a cat at a mousehole to see that he did not go to bed at night without washing his feet. He would run barefoot.
One of the penalties of going on this excursion, young man, said Agnes to Sammy, is having to keep clean. I know its going to be hard sledding for you; but we cant afford to have a grubby looking youngster in the party.
Sammy sighed, muttering: Well! I guess I can stand it. Ma bathed me all over, every day , when I was sick. Guess thats why Im so thin now. She purt near washed me all away.
The first days journey had been carefully laid out, and the party of tourists from the old Corner House knew just where they were to stay that night. They were not to be bound throughout their tour, however, by hard-and-fast plans or rules.
Its a poor rule that cant be broken, said the matter-of-fact Mrs. Heard. Just the same we want to know something about where we are going sometimes. I wouldnt fancy being caught out in some wilderness on a stormy night, for instance, with nothing better than somebodys barn to take refuge in.
This, of course, neither she nor the others realized at the time was a prophetic statement.
Naturally, if one is to go on such an excursion as this of the Corner House girls, one must have some idea of the roads, of hotels, and of the choice of routes and hostelries, as well as distances between proposed stops.
As far as they had been able to learn there was no hotel on the road they had selected, near which they would be at noon of this first day. So, in with the suitcases and other impedimenta, was packed a lunch hamper.
When they stopped by a wayside spring for the noon bivouac, they were out of sight of every house and a long way from home. But Neale ONeil knew this road.
I was over it the other day with Mr. Howbridge. Pogue Lake is just back there a couple of miles. Thats a great fishing place.
I never did see how men and boys could be cruel enough to fish, said Mrs. Heard, with a little shudder. Always wanting to kill something. Hooking fish by their poor, tender mouths its awful!
I should think it would hurt the worms worse than it would the fish, Mrs. Heard, said the thoughtful Tess. The
long worms get cut in half and both ends wriggle so!
Huh! grunted Sammy. Worms aint got no feelings. No moren eels. And it dont hurt an eel to skin it so there!
Id like to know how you know so much, young man, said Mrs. Heard, tartly. Did you ever talk to a skinned eel? Who told you it didnt hurt em?
Other automobile parties had stopped at this pleasant spot to picnic, for there were unmistakable marks of its having been thus occupied. It seems seldom to occur to picnic parties that other excursionists may wish to use the same sylvan spot which they find so lovely and leave in such disgraceful condition.