The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1878-04-04
A Bushel of Nuts.

- Ph97l Oh Pt1n
Little Eben Dixie began saying that
at the end of the lane, though he must
have known his brother could not pos
sibly hear him, and kept on all the way
until he reached the door, where Phin
stood whiting By that time Eben
was SO out of breath he could only stand
cry again, boy" said Phin, thump-
ing him on the back. e. suppose you
have something to say"
"Oh, Phinl'' said Eben again, Mr..
Sumner said he will give us one of his
little dogs if We pay him.
Chow much % asked Ph1n, without
excitement. I've got just cents"
"'Tisn't money, it's nuts" said Eben.
ga bushel of chestnuts for the dog"
Phin's eyes sparkled. He had long
that tumbled and played about Mr..
ing no means to purchase one, he had
tried not to think about it. Now he
shut his knife briskly.
"Come on, boy" he said. eff a
bushel of chestnuts Will do it, I'm on
hand"
However, chestnut trees were not
plenty near Phin's home, and week
later he lay on the hillside grumbling.
"That puppy will be grown-up dog
and gray haired before we can get him.
It's no use, Eben."
The little brother looked sober; but
he did not mean to give up.
"We have quite a good many nuts
now" he said.
"Not third enough" said Phin.
cover to Scranton's woods there a. :
enough"
"Six miles away" muttered Phin.
elf Trudie's grandma1l just let US
ride old Dapple bare backed over there
and carry a bag, we could do it. And
maybe she will. We helped Trudie pick
blackberries, you know"
Eben, you're smart boy" cried
Phin. "Come on"
Perhaps Trudie's grandma would not
have let old Dapple go had not Trudie
whispered more than once "please" in
her ear. But she did consent. So the
next day the old horse was astonished to
find four short legs astride his back and
to be trotted slowly toward Scranton's
woods.
Phin held the bride, and Eben held
Phln's jacket, and they set on a folded
blanket. 1t wasn't quite so easy to
stick on as the boys had expected, and,
going up the first steep hill, Eben
slipped off over Dapple's tail and fell
in a mu6-puddle. But he climbed on
by help of the nearest fence, and never
cried.
Chestnuts were plenty in those woods,
and the boJ s were glad to hammer them
out of the prickly burrs, and fill their
bags in spite of feeling stiff from their
ride. And when, as they were about
going home, they met another small
boy and bought his nuts with leather
and cents Phin had in his pocket they
felt very grand indeed.
Three miles of the homeward way
were passed, when stray dog, helping
to bring somebody's cows home. sprung
barking out of the bushes at Dapple's
nose
Up went the old horses heels, and off
went the boys, and then away trotted
Dapple toward home, leaving his riders
fiat on their backs.
But the nuts are safe," said brave
lie Eben, scrambling up, and yeing
the precious bag that had also come to
the ground.
"Safe and heavy" said Phin, Juggling
it up. eff we've got to walk and carry
this all the rest of the way, I think we
don't buy that dog very cheap"
It was hard work. Both boys were
almost crying with fatigue when they
got home; but when supper and sleep
had cured their stiff limbs, and the
bushel of nuts were exchanged for the
dear little dog, you may be sure they did
not repent of their bargain.
''You might call him Pluck" said
Mr.. Sumner, who had heard of their
toll to earn him.
Eben fondled the puppy's ronnd head
aud answered:
81 think we'll call him Nuts ?"
And so they did.