Then he said, "Miss Doc is a sort of female
doctor. She knows lots of female things."
"Yes, but she can't work 'em off on the boy," said Jim. "He ain't big
enough to stand it."
"No, I don't suppose he is," agreed Keno, going to the window, on which
he breathed, to melt away the frosty foliage of ice. "I think there's
some of the boys a-comin'--yep--three or four."
The boots of the men could be heard, as they creaked on the crisply
frozen snow, before the visitors arrived at the door. Keno let them
in, and with them an oreole of chill and freshness flavored spicily of
winter. There were three--the carpenter, Bone, and Lufkins.
"How's the little shaver?" Bone inquired at once.
"About the same," said Jim. "And how's the tree?"
"All ready," answered Lufkins. "Old Webber's got a bully fire, and
iron melting hot, to warm the shop. The tree looks great. She's all
lit up, and the doors all shut to make it dark, and you bet she's a
gem--a gorgeous gem--ain't she, fellers?"
The others agreed that it was.
"And the boys are nearly all on deck," resumed the teamster, "and
Webber wanted to know if the morning--Christmas morning--ain't the time
for to fetch the boy."
"Wal, some might think so," Jim replied, unwilling to concede that the
tiny man in the bunk was far too ill to join in the cheer so early in
the day.
Pages:
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132