Part 20 (1/2)
”Do you think so?” was the eager question.
”Let us hope so, at any rate. But, come, you are worn out, and must get some sleep. Trust your trouble to the Good Shepherd. He will find some way to bring back your wandering lamb.”
Douglas walked swiftly home, and obtained a little sleep before the work of the day began.
”Ye should have stayed in bed longer,” Jake greeted, as he joined him at the barn.
”That's not my habit when there's work to be done,” Douglas replied.
”But ye did an extry piece of work last night, though. Great punkins!
how I'd like to 'ave been there.”
”So you have heard about it already, eh?”
”Sure; couldn't keep a thing like that a secret fer two hours in this place. Sandy Morgan, on his way to the wharf, stopped to tell me about it. Ho, ho, it was great.”
Jake continued his milking, and when he was through, he came to where Douglas was sitting.
”I've been thinkin',” he began, ”an' feel a bit uneasy about ye.”
”In what way?” Douglas questioned, looking up from his milking.
”I'm uneasy about what Si will do. He'll hear only one side of the story from Ben an' the gals, an' they'll paint it as black as they kin, mark my word.”
”I'm not afraid of the whole gang,” Douglas replied. ”What can they do to me?”
”I don't know,” and Jake scratched his head in perplexity. ”But I advise ye to be keerful. Si's an ugly brute when he gits his dander up, an' it's ginerally up most of the time.”
Douglas was not left long in doubt as to what action Simon Stubbles would take. He was working with Jake that morning in the field back of the barn when a man approached. He carried a letter which he at once handed to Douglas.
”The boss wants an answer,” he informed him. ”He's in a big hurry about it, too.”
Opening the letter, Douglas read the brief note, and as he did so an amused expression overspread his face. He studied it carefully for a few minutes without making any comment. Shoving it into his pocket, he was about to resume his work when the messenger stopped him.
”I want ye'r answer,” he said.
”Tell your master that I shall answer him the first time I meet him,”
Douglas replied.
”But Si will give me h.e.l.l if I don't take more than that,” the man whined. ”He told me to bring him a 'yes' or a 'no'.”
”I can't help that. If you're willing to allow Si Stubbles to treat you like a dog, you must put up with the consequences.”
Douglas stood and watched the messenger as he slowly ambled back across the field.
”Poor wretch,” he remarked, ”he is afraid to go back to his master.
Who is he, anyway?”
”Oh, he's only Barney Tompkins,” Jake replied. ”He's a useless feller, with a big family. He does odd jobs fer Si, runnin' errands, sweepin'