Winnie S. was loaded to the
guards with exclamatory explanations.
"Judas priest!" he exclaimed, as the captain assisted Mrs. Barnes and
Emily into the carriage. "If I ain't glad to see you folks! When I got
back here and there wa'n't a sign of you nowheres, I was took some off
my pins, I tell ye. Didn't know what to do. I says to Jabez, I says--"
Captain Obed interrupted. "Never mind what you said to Jabez, Win," he
said. "Why didn't you get back sooner? That's what we want to know."
Winnie S. was righteously indignant. "Sooner!" he repeated. "Judas
priest! I tell ye right now I'm lucky to get back at all. Took me pretty
nigh an hour to get to the village. Such travelin' I never see. Tried to
save time by takin' the short cut acrost the meadow, and there ain't no
meadow no more. It's three foot under water. You never see such a tide.
So back I had to frog it and when I got far as Jabe's house all hands
had turned in. I had to pretty nigh bust the door down 'fore I could
wake anybody up. Then Jabe he had to get dressed and we had to harness
up and--hey? Did you say anything, ma'am?"
The question was addressed to Mrs. Barnes, who had been vainly trying to
ask one on her own account.
"I say have you got our valises?" asked Thankful. "Last I saw of them
they was in that other wagon, the one that broke down."
The driver slapped his knee. "Judas priest!" he cried. "I forgot all
about them satchels. Here, Jabe," handing the reins to his companion.
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