Show 1000 ac WT PEI N the ives family including andy kate hope dave dare and granny face various difficulties in the wilderness where they have gone to make a new home of their own A group of hunters resents the intrusion of the homesteaders and attempts to make trouble following the worst of the land clearing the ives give a housewarming at which they invite all the neighbors who helped them for their first christmas hank hack butler one of the more disreputable neighbors presents them with a wild turkey while they are celebrating the daf quietly big halleck IIa handsome young man to whom hope Is attracted stops in dave teases big about standing under the mistletoe embarrassing hope CHAPTER XV it was a desperate retreat and one that would soon put distance between him and the eager eyed girl he seen since the housewarming keeping the house between him and the point where the pickup was stopping dave ran fast southward he disappeared in the growth harley was in high mood merry chrismas andy ives he cried in his voice birdie said wed just drive by a minute an wish you the best of the season an I 1 said 2 now harley mrs webster protested it was you that said it first you said last night that we sure ought to drop by the ives place tomorrow today she pointed out looking at andy and I 1 said oh all right hugah it dont matter who said it first we both wanted to come you all are well I 1 hope andy merry christmas oreen sang out as she descended from the cab doing her best to be graceful in stepping to the ground wheres dave oh hes around some place andy told her come in to the fire maybe you can have dinner with us goodness no birdie protested we think of that I 1 cooked our christmas dinner early this mornin momin what I 1 fixed last night that is an well stay jest a minute here and birdie went into the house saying now ives it if youre busy dont stop just you go right ahead an dont let us bother you she noticed bigelow halleck at the fire howdy big she said and shot a keen glance at hope hey big oreen called flashing him a smile hi U reen been it if youre lookin tor for dave he just went out the back door 11 ashes not lookin for dave birdie almost snapped with a quick over the shoulder glance at bigelow halleck go take off your wrap reen an git your feet warm in front of the fire it was cold in the truck oreen smiled at big again as if apologizing for her mothers sharpness what made you think I 1 was lookin for dave she asked challengingly 1 I heard you ask where he was when you got out of the truck big told her why I 1 mentioned it birdie bristled slightly at that and would probably have said something if harley been coming in at that moment talking loudly so she spent her feel f ings on him dont yell so harley my goodness were in a house now and to the others harley has to yell to make himself heard when hes darivin the truck it takes im a time to stop it when he gits out all right honey harley agreed using softer tones 1 I know I 1 was yellin hi big nice chrismas aint it mr eliot disappointed by these interruptions to the progress he and hope were making on indian love call returned violin and bow to the top of the piano hello harley bigelow halleck answered right nice ive got to be gettin along though im out after a black necked jersey heifer this morning seen her shore big maybe ashes off somewhere chrismas and harley chuckled hope took breens coat into the new room and laid it on the bed the girl followed her and went to the window stood there looking out searching the area back of the house and out through the woods as far as she could see but there was no sign of dave birdie was plainly glad to see bigelow rall halleck eck go 1 I was afraid she whispered to kate that he had come to dinner here I 1 sure would hate to see him an hope git to likin each other or any other girl like hope or oreen hope who had heard herself catalogued cataloguer catalo gued with oreen just as she reentered entered re the room groaned she wondered why she deserved this dubious distinction she also wondered why birdie webster on such slight evidence as she had reported was so dead set against bigelow halleck in her remarks remark sl that smells like turkey mrs webster said sniffing the air aint it birdie voices her suspicions kate leading the way to the kitchen for the bird needed basting told her that hat it was take a chair and join in the talk she invited 1 I just have to see about things in the kitchen maybe I 1 can help you birdie followed you know I 1 feel right at home here ives we had such good times durin the work on the house I 1 tell harley ever once in a while that it if we got any real friends its you theres just some people you feel at home with an some you dont brother colann calls it the spirit of brotherly love an I 1 what it is you git the turkey it was brought to us a few days ago kate told her we have afforded to buy one this year goodness I 1 should say not turkeys is too high to buy I 1 been bout raisin some for the market in newcastle but harley says awful hard to raise an that they eat like hogs course we could range em through summer an early fall an fatten them up on corn just fore Thanas givin an chrismas but theres so much to do that I 1 aint got the time to spare I 1 she paused for breath then relentlessly but gently she asked the question that was bound to come what friend brought you the turkey did I 1 say a friend brought it kate parried it was her view that this was none of birdies business and she was rather determined that she would withhold the source of their roasting bird there were good reasons for keeping the news from spreading that hank butler had brought the a turkey well you exactly say a friend brought it birdie admitted but I 1 guessed that much it dont look like anybody but a friend brought you all a turkey so I 1 put two an two together course if ruther not i tell me then all right she looked hurt and a little defeated 1 I aint ever been one to poke into other peoples business oh im sure of that kate said she basted the turkey taking a long time at it then closed the oven door when she straightened up and turned birdie webster was standing with folded arms a grim light in her pale blue eyes lets go back to the fire now kate said that aint a bought turkey or a yard raised one birdie said 1 I seen it I 1 know the tween tame turkeys an an the other kind kate felt a nervous anger but blit she concealed it well I 1 guess Z you did dave whispered its its beefy be right still hes watching Vs us 11 there is a difference she said easily but I 1 dont know what it is tame turkeys are the only kind ive ever eaten christmas spirit pervades the swamp mrs webster nodded and gave kate a look that was quick and sharp and totally lacking in the brotherly love she had mentioned a moment ago the websters at birdies suggestion left soon after this kate knew that the woman was miffed and suffering from a defeated curiosity maybe it would have been better to tell her who had brought the turkey but goodness alive a woman in her own house in her own kitchen should be able to cook something for her family without telling people where it came from dave returned when the truck had passed out of hearing 1 I heard beefy down in the deep swamp he reported before hope could start on him about his retreat from oreen he was making those strange sounds and sometimes he makes you think hes laughing he was lookin at you mr flipp said you see him but he was heeln you he sounded way back in the swamp though dave said 1 I dont think he saw me its the way he makes them couns mr flipp said think sometimes that hes a mile away an then all at once you can see him right yonder a piece he was to you if you can call it dave swallowed dryly sti still U I 1 feel sorry tor for him out there by himself why he be even know its christmas does hell he why dont you and hope fix a christmas dinner for the poor soul granny asked that would be nice lets hope exclaimed delighted with the idea right after dinner dave well but howd we get it to him dave cut in we cant call to him and we cant go into the swamp and hunt him up never find him that way mr flipp said he can move as quiet as a coon in soft mud an he can be so still when he wants to that you could be ten feet from him an not know he was within a mile of you bayl dave exclaimed struck by an idea why not build a little smoke near the edge of the swamp and let the north wind carry it down into that tangle where beefy lives maybe hed smell it and come out to see what was burning we could give him the dinner then mr flipp viewed him with new appreciation boy you got more gumption than I 1 figge redl he nodded looking sad to indicate his commendation that aughta work the dinner was a glorious success flipp and eliot consumed enormous amounts of turkey and dressing sweet potato scalloped corn coconut cake and ambrosia it was the first festive meal that either of them had faced in years mr eliot who had talked a great deal during the repast was still eating long after the others had stopped mr flipp who had not spoken a word during the meal except to request the passing of a dish his way looked properly ashamed of his verbose colleague once on the sly he shook ills his head sorrowfully at kate who pretended not to notice after all mr flipp had put away in his steady swift eating considerably more than mr eliot could manage at his present rate unless he kept at it until granny shot a sharp look at the hunter trapper and said pointedly mr eliote store of information is amazing this meal has been instructive as well as filling more ambrosia mr eliot thank you he said passing his sherbet dish it is a delicious commingling com mingling of fruits and coconut different I 1 am sure from what the gods of olympus enjoyed but fully as satisfying after the meal mr flipp looked popeyed and stuffed as he sat before the warm fire mr eliot promptly began nodding and light sibilant sounds issued from his rounded mouth poor old soul granny said softly as she and kate and hope did the dishes 1 I wonder why hes here living like this I 1 mean what makes him do it aside from th the tact fact that he has freedom and time tor for reading and thinking out here in the swamp hope fixed deemys dinner on an old cracked plate that would be no loss if it never returned to the ives china she piled on turkey and dressing and all the trim even to the ambrosia and cake then she and dave struck out toward the swamp it was two still cloudy cooler with a sharpening breeze out of the north they came to the point from which dave had heard the mutes weird mou things and dave b built ui it a smudge ot of leaves and small chunks they set the plate on a stump close by then moved a distance away toward the house they did not hide for beefy might be watching them and there was no telling what strange meaning he might jand find in such a move on their part they stood together and waited while the breeze bore the pungent smoke into the swamp fastness the dinner will get cold hope said 1 I wish hed come on be better cold than what hes used to eating dave reminded her maybe he wont come at all he may be a mile back in the swamp no telling lets go on to the house hopes teeth were chattering lightly now she had never seen the giant mute and waiting for him to appear was exciting suspense and the chill of the afternoon were combining their effect on her wait just a minute more dave begged id like to see him when he finds on the plate if he finds it hope nodded Then she gasped lightly did I 1 see a bush move there by the burnt snag she asked locating the place without pointing 1 I thought you did dave whispered its its beefy be right still hes watching us beefy gets a turkey dinner the strange creatures tattered garments blended with the background as perfectly as the coat or the feathers of wild animal or game bird at first he was just a shape taking form against the growth and he was moving in a crouch it was hard tor for dave to believe that the swift gliding figure there in the north fringe of the wilderness erness was the huge black man he had seen on the morning when he and his father had cut sills for the barn from where he stood now beefy looked much smaller as much animal as human it gives me creeps and chills to watch himl him hope whispered id die it if he came close to me davel dave oh I 1 bet he hurt you dave scoffed besides run so fast you take time jimb to die I 1 he sees the plate bowl hope exclaimed wonder if he knows what W hat a plate is he sees us too dave told her the mute had come to the very edge of the lower growth now and there he straightened to his full height a broad shouldered towering figure and stepped out into the open he was facing hope and dave TO BE CONTIN CON gUED A ty 1141 |