"
"Me, too, an' I tell ye what I'll do. I'll get my Ma ter let me come ter
your house to stay all day, an' when your folks go off ter meetin', me
an' you'll have some fun!"
"What?"
"We'll stay all day on the creek banks, find duck nests, turkey and
quail nests, an',----" Austin paused and dropped his voice, "go in
swimmin' if we take a notion----"
The Boy slowly shook his head.
"No, less don't do that."
"Why?"
"'Cause Ma don't 'low me to go in the creek till June--says I might
ketch my death o' cold."
"Shucks! I've been in twice already!"
"Have ye?"
"Yep!"
"And ye didn't get sick?"
"Do I _look_ sick?"
"Not a bit."
"Well, then?"
"All right--we'll go."
The spirit of freedom born of the fields and woods had grown into
something more than an attitude of mind. He was ready for the deed--the
positive act of adventure. He didn't like to disobey his mother. But he
couldn't afford to let Austin think that he was a molly-coddle, a mere
babe hanging to her skirts. He was doing a man's work. It was time he
took a few of man's privileges.
He revelled in the situation of adventure that night and saw himself the
hero of stirring scenes.
Next morning on Austin's arrival he asked his mother to let him stay at
home and play.
"Don't you want to go to meeting and hear the new preacher?" she asked
persuasively.
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