Old Caravan Days

he respectable beast leaped with astonishment, dragging its fellow along. The fore wheels cleared the track, and Bobaday's head was filled with the prolonged cr

t put on steam and disappeared on its course, and Zene and his trembling assistant were trying to

ns. Her lips moved at frequent intervals for a long time after this accident. But aunt Corinne flew out of the carriage, and felt her nephew's arms and wailed over

g the wagon off the road and preparing to hunt a shop.

t's nigh dinner-time, and we'll camp in sight, and wait till we can all go on together. A merciful Providence has

running down into a small creek. Then he bestrode one of the w

ly of nuts for winter. The nuts were old ones, lying under last autumn's leaves, and before a large heap had been gathered, aunt Corinne bethought her to e

: BOBADAY'S N

aday, kicking the pile. "I did

e, twisting her mouth at the acrid kernel, "that used to lay u

plings which submitted to be rode as

illages on the 'pike. The wagon-maker, after examining the disabled vehicle, and getting the dimensions of the other

was sitting on

kept to the 'pik

m," respo

ld be a small expen

" responded Zene, g

ve much to be thankful for, in that o

! yes, marm!"

eg to his horse before cantering off,

est you fo

llinois," replied

Goin' to the Eeleenoy! that's a good ways

back," said Grandma Padget

an accent of surprise. "Well, well

as he ever saw," said Grandma Padget

ed as if he had experienced them at their worst. "And the m

trouble about such thin

y had to buy their drinkin' water, and the winters on them perrares froze the children in their beds! Oh, I

with silent dignity, the wagon-maker took

or Grandma Padgett and aunt Corinne. Robert Day was to sleep in the carriage, and Zene insisted on sleeping

we were last night, anyhow," o

kfully what was kept for him, and Robert Day felt certain Zene

curious ones as he knew. Robert sometimes suspected him to be a mine of richness, but it t

ew leading remarks, Zene really plunged into a story. He thereby r

Little Ant Red a

ver!" excla

ttle Ant Red and Big Ant

they-each other's?

r mother's sisters; they was

aid Rob

st see her. But Ant Black, she was a great big critter

nce, and Grandma had to fight 'em out with camphor, and a big black got into m

lived in a hill by a stump, but Little

ays crept into hous

riendly as you please, but as soon as their backs was turned they'd talk! Big Ant Black said Little Ant Red was always a meddling, and everybody knowed her son was drowned in under the orc

und her. Every mornin' when the dew stood in beads on his net he told Ant Red they was tears he shed about her troubles, and she run up and down and all around, talkin' like a sawmill, but keepin' just off the web. And there was Old

up and kitched Ant Red fussin' round her cow pasture one night, and then the cows b

and needles in her back whenever Ant Red looked at her; and the snake-feeders said she shot arries at 'em when they was flyin' over a craw-fi

in her mind about that. Even the grasshopper jumped out of her way, and bunged his eyes out at her; as if she cou

jic?" inquire

ion, or-a plan of some

the beetles and bugs and all their families, and the snake-feeders and Miss Katydid for y

young one. And the snake-feeders they helped Miss Katydid over the lowest fence-rail, and here come Big Ant Black with such a string behind her it looked like a fune

d take cheers. And they all shook hands with her as if they'd never dreamt of callin' her a witch, and fell right on to the apple and begun to eat. And they all e't and e't, till they'd made holes in the r

hat does she do but try to help her young ones carry off the whole apple-shell. It did look jub'ous to see such a big thing movin' off with such little critters tuggin' i

arm,' s

n' but rose-leaf butter, and the bugs and beetles will hardly take enough, to keep 'em alive.' 'And I s'ze to myself,' says Ant Red, 'here's this big apple

ied to show them how holler the apple was, and they declared if

up with mud. Even the mud-wasps and tumble-bugs that hadn't been bid come and took

ed ant walkin' out of it. If ants is there, it's one of them poor black fellers that was shu