"Here, boy," said the fisherman with affected sternness: "What are
you doing with that dagger?"
The boy's breast heaved and his dirty fingers clenched tight
around the whittled stick.
"Don't you talk to me that-a-way," he said with an ominous shake
of his head. "I'll gut ye!"
The fisherman threw back his head, and his peal of laughter did
what his sternness failed to do. The little fellow wheeled
suddenly, and his feet spurned the sand around the bushes for
home--the astonished frog dragged bumping after him. "Well!" said
the fisherman.
IV
Even the geese in the creek seemed to know that he was a stranger
and to distrust him, for they cackled and, spreading their wings,
fled cackling up the stream. As he neared the house, the little
girl ran around the stone chimney, stopped short, shaded her eyes
with one hand for a moment and ran excitedly into the house. A
moment later, the bearded giant slouched out, stooping his head as
he came through the door.
"Hitch that 'ar post to yo' hoss and come right in," he thundered
cheerily. "I'm waitin' fer ye."
The little girl came to the door, pushed one brown slender hand
through her tangled hair, caught one bare foot behind a deer-like
ankle and stood motionless.
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