Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1909-04-01
cHAPrgR vlll.--centInu,d.

N~-NNh'N'
CHAPTER VliI.--continued.
Did you need the extra bucket?" l
asks.
Why, no. / believe not" says Hart
ley. "You see l dug for while and
then went to look for better places,
and James did the digging. We found
holes enough. but they didn't seem TO
be the right kind. Worms, did you call
those things? Sea serpents, you
meant l guess. never saw such
creatures. And there was one place
where there we're millions OF holes,
but chockful OF crabs"
"Um.hum," says /. "Fiddlers. You
must have gone plumb up into the
march bank TO run into them"
They was 'orrid things" says Lord
James, rolling his eyes. "And they
'ad claws and swarmed over my feet.
l give you my word l was that"
"That'll do. James," says Hartley.
We'll. was successful at last. skip.
per. Struck place where CLANS were
actually in layers Just under the sand.
We turned 'em over with the hoes like
winksng. polnted em out and James
picked EN- up. Just look at those
buckets, win your"
looked at 'em. There was three
buckets chock. trimming full.
Good land Of iovel" says I. "Them
Amt clams-they're quahaugs"
"There're clans in New York." he
says.
Maybe So" says I. we call 'em
haugs in this part of the bay unless
they've been bedded. Was there any
marks around 'em?"
There was lot of sticks stuck up
around" he says. but we knocked
those out OF the way"
You didY" says |. Did you leave
any OF the-what you call clams?"
you bet We didn't" says he. I'VE
took the last one. Had too much
trouble findIng 'em to leave any"
''Humphl" says |. That's nice.
You've cleaned out somebody's private
quahaug bed. Them quahaugs was all
brought over by somebody and planted
where you found 'em. The sticks was
TO mark the place"
You don't mean it," he says.
Yes. do says l. II cal'late well
hear from tlam quahaugs asore long"
And sure snDugh We did. but that
comes later.
On the way up 70 the house turns
to his lordship, who was llmping bare.
foot over the beachgrass stubbles, and
says /:
Amt clammIns fans7 says.
MY world" saysal,ss INIT Il expressed
his feelings all right
All the asterno0n thu clam hunters
kept getting Iamer ana lamer and sorer
and sorer. Their sun.burnt legs and
arms vas hurting 'em scandalous.
Hartley Topped into piazza chair and
stayed there, and Lord James crept
around with his limbs spread out like
windmill sails. And every time he'd
bump into a chair or anything you
could hear him whoop 70 glory.
Van Brunt got homo about supper
time. Scudder rowed him over. I had
the QuAhaug chDWder made andAe ate
enough for eli hands. Hartley was
feeling too used up 70 relish IL much,
and bis lordship didn't eat nothing.
let him on on the dish washing and he
went 0fi 70 ths tail end OF the veranda
and went 10 sleep Ia q chair.
After supper Van told about his trip
20 Eastwich. Agnes and the Talford
girl WAS wen. ho aAla and they and
their Fresh Air tribe was coming to
tho island nsxt day Tor q picnic.
by tina way. siippsF." says Van;
''scndder says he brought some pres
ents for 90 last night after we went TO
bed. Where are theys"
Thuudernlipai "a forgot all about
them prenentar ia felt like an un.
dertahef when laid EN- away in that
drawer. amid NON felt like a grave
r0bber ~ ina EN- pp again. l spread
'em out 81 che table. conn pIates ia
Tha midl,e and wreath nn one end and
WAat - Hgma Without Mother on
fosheg
You'd Qight % have heard thsm
aAAsbns'as auNhi Mates presents
eIaiaIy made hst Van he tust
ihla hatl ard goassd,