"
"You didn't, now?"
"Yes, I did."
"An' we didn't neither on us wake up?"
"You was a-snorin' the whole time."
"I don't s'pose you'd oughter have done it, Ephraim," said Caleb, and
he tried to make his tone severe.
"I never went a-coastin' in my whole life before," said Ephraim; "it
ain't fair."
"I dunno what mother 'd say if she was to find out about it," said
Caleb, and he shook his head.
"Ezra Ray was the only one that was out there, an' he said he
wouldn't tell."
"Well, mebbe he won't, mebbe he won't. I guess you most hadn't
oughter gone unbeknownst to your mother, sonny."
"Barney's sled jest beat Ezra's all holler."
"It did, hey? That allers was a good sled," returned the old man,
chuckling.
Caleb went into the pantry again, and returned rattling a handful of
corn. "Want a game of holly-gull?" he asked. "I've got a leetle time
to spare now while mother's gone."
"Guess so," replied Ephraim. He dragged his chair forward to the
hearth; he and his father sat opposite each other and played the old
childish game of holly-gull. Ephraim was very fond of the game, and
would have played it happily hour after hour had not Deborah esteemed
it a sinful waste of time. When Caleb held up his old fist, wherein
he had securely stowed a certain number of kernels of corn, and
demanded, "Holly-gull, hand full, passel how many?" Ephraim's spirit
was thrilled with a fine stimulation, of which he had known little in
his life.
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