CHAPTER VI
HOW STUBBINS WENT TO SEE MR. HODGKINS
Tom Randall, Cornelia Mary, and Sally met the Mulvaneys with a lumber wagon. In spite of all Cornelia Mary could do to prevent such actions, Tom fairly shouted when he saw the family lifted from the train by the grinning brakeman, while Sally's face was the colour of a poppy as she went forward to greet her friends. It wasn't easy to claim the Mulvaneys in the presence of the amused passengers, whose faces filled the car windows. It was a relief to hear the engine whistle and see the train start.
"We're going right straight to your house," Sally told Mrs. Mulvaney. "Mamma is there this morning waiting for you. Why won't the children talk? What's the matter? Have they lost their tongues?"
"They never was on the cars before," explained Mrs. Mulvaney, "and they behaved real well. They act kind of bashful now." Whereupon the seven looked foolish, and wouldn't speak to Sally. Even Stubbins was dumb.
"This is your new teacher," Sally continued by way of introducing the family, "and that boy on the front seat is her brother Tom. Climb in, children. Where will you sit, Mrs. Mulvaney?"
"I'll just hist myself on to the front seat with the boy," was the reply, and that must have been the reason Tom drove home by way of Park's Corner instead of through the village.
"Why, Tom," remonstrated Cornelia Mary, "it's three miles farther the road you've started on!"
"Want to give your school a chance to see the country," was the response. "Geddap, geddap!"
"This spring air won't hurt anybody," Sally put in. "Oh, Hannah, isn't it lovely? Aren't you ever going to talk again, Hannah?"
Not a word from Hannah. Stubbins was the first to find his voice. "Oh, pigth, pigth, thop the horthe!" he cried. "Thay, boy, I want to thee the pigth!"
"Whoa!" said Tom. "Didn't you ever see pigs before, Stubbins?"
"Yeth, but I never thaw pigth in the country, did I?"
"Do you like pigs?"
"I geth I do! Are they pigth where we are going?"
"Giddap," repeated Tom, pulling at the reins, and then turning so that he could look at Stubbins he said this:
"Pigs? Why, I should say yes! Look here, Stubbins, there are so many pigs in the country they run wild—wild, I say, and if any little kid is a pig catcher all he's got to do is catch a pig and keep it if he can. You can even take pigs to school here, ride 'em right into the schoolhouse if the door's open."
Stubbins glanced inquiringly at Cornelia Mary, but she and Sally were busy talking with Mike and Johnnie, while Chinky and Hannah were busy listening to them. Mrs. Mulvaney was thinking, and paid no attention to Tom's nonsense.
"Thay, boy," suggested Stubbins, "leth thop the horthe and go back and get thome pigth now."
"Haven't time," was the reply, "plenty of wild pigs all through the country; you'll want something to do when you get home."
During the rest of the drive, Stubbins hugged his bundle and dreamed of pigs, and after a few minutes' silence Tom entertained Mrs. Mulvaney with stories of the house in which she was to live.
"I wouldn't stay in that house over night for one thousand dollars!" he remarked.
"Land sake, why not?" asked the woman.
In low tones lest Cornelia Mary should overhear, Tom did his best to scare Mrs. Mulvaney. He told nothing but the truth, but he handled the truth in such a way Mrs. Mulvaney felt cold chills going up and down her back in spite of all the clothes she had on. At last she spoke.
"Now that's enough, young man," she said, "and if I ever catch you telling my young ones any of that stuff, I'll shake some sense into you. You'll be more rattled-headed than you are now, if I ever lay hands on you."
"Giddap," remarked Tom, astonished for once in his life.
If Heaven had opened to receive the Mulvaneys, they could scarcely have been more pleased than when the new home was reached.
Early in the afternoon Stubbins slipped away from the family and went in search of wild pigs. Tom was right. Back of the house was a field of small pigs. Stubbins gave a shout of joy and started in pursuit. He caught a little pig easily, and carried it, kicking and squealing, to his new home.
The family were in the sitting-room and didn't hear Stubbins when he carried the pig through the kitchen, the dining-room, and up the stairs. Into the attic over the kitchen he thrust the pig, then returned to the field for another. In less than an hour, five pigs were in that attic and Stubbins was happy.
"Now I think I thaw a nithe big pig thomewhere," he remarked, climbing a fence, and looking carefully over the fields of his neighbour. Welcome Hodgkins. Sure enough! Beyond the field in which he caught the five was one big pig. Away flew Stubbins. It wouldn't be so easy to get that pig home because it was too big to carry.
"Come, pig, pig, pig," called Stubbins, "nithe piggie, come pig."
The nice pig looked up, and said, "Ooof—oof—oof! Ugh—ugh—ugh!"
Stubbins ventured nearer, but the pig took alarm and trotted grunting across the field. The pig had four legs and Stubbins only two rather uncertain ones; nevertheless, after rather an exciting chase, the pig was caught.
"Now, mithter, how will I get you home? Hold sthill; here, I geth I'll have to get on and ride the way that boy thed. Geddap over to the gate. Hold sthill till I get hold of your ear. Wait, I thay!"
The pig wouldn't wait, and Stubbins wouldn't let go. Clinging to the creature's ears, he somehow managed to scramble on its back. Then began a wild ride.
"I didn't know a pig could go tho fatht," gasped Stubbins, hanging on for dear life, while the pig squealed and squealed and squealed. "Why, thay! What you trying to do, pig?" grumbled Stubbins, as the animal began rubbing him against the fence corner. "Oh, I thay, get out of thith!"
The pig got out, but he made straight for the barnyard where Welcome Hodgkins was feeding the chickens. There was a scattering of poultry as the pig dashed beneath a wagon in the middle of the yard, landing Stubbins—bump—swish! on his back in the mud.
"Sthop the pig," cried Stubbins, struggling to his feet, "sthop my pig I thay!"
"See here, youngster, that's my pig!" declared Welcome Hodgkins. "Who are you, anyway, and what are you trying to do with my pig?"
"I'm Thubbinth, and I wath taking the pig to my houthe. I didn't know it wath your pig, and I didn't come to thee you, tho there!"