The barn was a large one, with
stalls for two horses and a cow and a carriage-room with the remnants of
an old-fashioned carryall in it.
"This is about the way it used to be in Cap'n Abner's day," said Captain
Obed. "That carryall belonged to your uncle, the cap'n, Mrs. Barnes.
The boys have had it out for two or three Fourth of July Antiques and
Horribles' parades; 'twon't last for many more by the looks of it."
"And what," asked Thankful, "is that? It looks like a pigsty."
They were standing at the rear of the house, which was built upon a
slope. Under the washshed, which adjoined the kitchen, was a rickety
door. Beside that door was a boarded enclosure which extended both into
the yard and beneath the washshed.
Captain Bangs laughed. "You've guessed it, first crack," he said. "It
is a pigpen. Some of Laban's doin's, that is. He used to keep a pig and
'twas too much trouble to travel way out back of the barn to feed it, so
Labe rigged up this contraption. That door leads into the potato cellar.
Labe fenced off half the cellar to make a stateroom for the pig. He
thought as much of that hog as if 'twas his own brother, and there WAS a
sort of family likeness."
Thankful snorted. "A pigsty under the house!" she said. "Well, that's
all I want to know about THAT man!"
As they were returning along the foot-path by the bluff Captain Obed,
who had been looking over his shoulder, suddenly stopped.
"That's kind of funny," he said.
"What?" asked Emily.
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