He's frittered away his time,
when he ought t' be hoein' corn, an' now I'm goin' to take it out of
him!"
Again he raised the whip, and struck the boy.
"Oh, please don't!" begged Will. "Honest I didn't fish except at noon
hour, an' I ate my lunch in one hand, and fished with the other, so I
wouldn't waste any time. I only took half an hour, instead of three-
quarters you said I could have at noon, and I went right to work
hoein' corn again."
"Humph! That's easy enough to say," spoke Mr. Hardee, "but I don't
believe you. I told you I'd whip you if you went fishin' ag'in, an'
I'm goin' to do it!"
Again the lash fell.
"Please don't!" begged Will, trying to break loose. But the angry
farmer held him in too firm a grip.
"Look here!" exclaimed Mr. Bobbsey with flashing eyes. "I believe that
boy is telling the truth!"
"Wa'al, I don't," snapped the mean farmer. "An' I'm goin' to give him
a good lesson."
"Not that way, Mr. Hardee!" cried Mr. Bobbsey, taking a step forward.
"Huh! You seem to know my name," said the farmer, stopping in his
beating of the boy, "but I don't know you."
"My name is Bobbsey," said the twins' lather, and the farmer started.
"I'm in the lumber business over at Lakeport. I guess you bought some
lumber of me, didn't you, for your house."
"Wa'al, s'posin' I did?" asked Mr.
Pages:
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100