"Stay in the house, please, you ladies, and keep the children here.
James and I will go out and attend to this."
He had an alpenstock, Uncle James a cane. The ladies and Mr, Hale and
the children watched the two gentlemen from the window,--all but little
Eddo, whose mother was playing bo-peep with him to prevent him from
looking out. A handsome rattlesnake was winding his way up the mountain
in pursuit of a tiny baby rabbit. The little "cotton-tail" was running
for the castle as fast as he could, intending to hide in a hole under
the door-stone. But he never would have reached the door-stone alive,
poor little trembling creature, if Mr. Dunlee and Uncle James had not
come up just in time to finish the cruel snake with cane and alpenstock.
Bunny got away safe, without even stopping to say, "Thank you." The
snake wore seven rattles, of which he was very proud; but Eddo had them
next day for a plaything, and made as much noise with them as ever the
snake had done; though Eddo never knew where they came from.
It had been a delightful day, and when the friends all met again at
table they kept saying, "Didn't we have a good time?"
It was to be noticed that Barbara's "topknots" had disappeared; and I
am glad to say that she never wore her lovely hair "pompy-doo" again.
Kyzie's face was alight. In passing the door of her mother's room she
had heard her father say, laughing:--
"What, our Katharine? Why, how that would amuse Mr. Templeton!"
Kyzie had hurried away for fear of listening; but now she kept
thinking:--
"Papa laughed. He always laughs when he is going to say 'yes.' He'll
talk to Mr. Templeton, and I just know I shall have the school Isn't it
splendid?"