"Don't you want some nails driven? I can do that first rate."

Aunt Vi laughed and said nails might be needed in putting up a staging, and she was sure that he could use a hammer better than she could.

Jimmy-boy, much gratified, struck an att.i.tude, and pounding his left palm with his thumb, repeated the rhyme:--

"Drive the nail straight, boys, Hit it on the head; Work with your might, boys, Ere the day has fled."

"There, he can speak, I knew he could speak!" cried Lucy, in admiration.

It was settled that they were all to meet Wednesday morning, and their mother with them, to talk over the matter.

"That's great," said Jimmy.

The watch was found and the world looked bright once more. True, he was deeply in debt; but with such a grand helper as Aunt Vi he was sure the debt would very soon be paid.

XI

BEGGING PARDON

Next morning Jimmy walked to school with "the little two," whistling as he went. Lucy had tortured her hair into a "cue," and

"The happy wind upon her played, Blowing the ringlet from the braid."

"I've got the snarling-est, flying-est hair," scolded she. "I never'll braid it again as long as I live; so there!"

"Good!" cried Jimmy. "It has looked like fury ever since we came up here."

Here Nate overtook the children. He had not been very social since the accident, but seemed now to want to talk.

"How do you do, Jimmy?" he said: and Jimmy responded, "How d'ye do yourself?"

The little girls ran on in advance, and Jimmy would have joined them, but Nate said:---

"Hold on! What's your hurry?"

Jimmy turned then and saw that Nate was scowling and twisting his watch-chain.

"I've got something to say to you--I mean papa wants me to say something."

"Oh ho!"

"I don't see any need of it, but papa says I must."

Jimmy waited, curious to hear what was coming.

"Papa says I jollied you the other day."

"What's that?"

"Why, fooled you."

"So you did, Nate Pollard, and 'twas awful mean."

[Ill.u.s.tration]

"It wasn't either. What made you climb that ridge-pole? You needn't have done it just because I did. But papa says I've got to--to--ask your pardon."

"H'm! I should think you'd better! Tore my clothes to pieces. Smashed a gold watch."

"You hadn't any business taking that watch."

There was a pause.

"Look here, Jimmy Dunlee, why don't you speak?"

"Haven't anything to say."

"Can't you say, 'I forgive you'?"

"Of course I can't. You never asked me."

"Well, I ask you now. James S. Dunlee, will--you--forgive me?"

"H'm! I suppose I'll have to," replied Jimmy, firing a pebble at nothing in particular. "I forgive you all right because we've found the watch.

If we hadn't found it, I wouldn't! But don't you 'jolly' me again, Nate Pollard, or you'll catch it!"

This did not sound very forgiving; but neither had Nate's remark sounded very penitent. Nate smiled good-naturedly and seemed satisfied. The fact was, he and Jimmy were both of them trying, after the manner of boys, to hide their real feelings. Nate knew that his conduct had been very shabby and contemptible, and he was ashamed of it, but did not like to say so. Jimmy, for his part, was glad to make up, but did not wish to seem too glad.

Then they each tried to think of something else to say. They were fully agreed that they had talked long enough about their foolish quarrel and would never allude to it again.

"Glad that watch has come," said Nate.

"So am I. It has come, but it won't _go_," said Jimmy. And they laughed as if this were a great joke.

Next Jimmy inquired about "the colonel," and Nate asked: "What colonel?

Oh, you mean the mining engineer. He'll be here next week with his men."

By this time the boys were feeling so friendly that Jimmy asked Nate to go with him before school next morning to see the knitting-woman's pets and hear the blind canary sing.

"Do you suppose the magpie will be there?" returned Nate. "I want to catch her some time and wring her old neck."

"Wish you would," said Jimmy. "h.e.l.lo, there's Chicken Little crying again. He's more of a baby than our Eddo."

Henry was crying now because Dave Blake had called him a coward. So very, very unjust! He stood near the schoolhouse door, wiping his eyes on his checked ap.r.o.n and saying:--