The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-10-11
CHAPTER VII.
The Voyage of the Ark.

CHAPTER VII.
The Voyage of the Ark.
1t was at breakfast the next
morning that the Heavenlies com
menced to talk garden.
"Scudder will bring us loan al
three dollars boat load" says
Van. And by the way, Sol we're
going to raise chickens, too. Scud'
der, so Martin says, will sell us
live Plymouth Rocks at thirty
cents a pound. Skipper, you might
fix up the poultry yard in your
spare time"
In my spare time. There was a
joke in that, but it want SO in
tended.
Then Van Brunt began to
preach pig" Seems Nate had
the only pig in creation that was
worth buying.
The gardens was ready for
planting on a Wednesday. Nate
fetched over the last dory load OF
loan the night afore and | spread
it afore | got supper. The chick
ems and the hog was to come on
Thursday. l was to take the skiff
and go after 'em.
Wednesday morning the Heav-
emily gardening began. One patch
was for Van Brunt and the other
for Hartley. They had seeds by
the peck, more or less, brought
over by Soudder's express and
charged for at undertaker's prices
The Twins started in with a ven
geance, | showed 'em how.
Van takes one hoe and Hartley
the other.
Now, Martini" says Van. "Here
goes! Bet you fifty / get the first
cucumber"
"I'll go you," says Martin,
shocking his jacket. "Sol, what
do I do next?"
I showed him. I started 'em
even on cucumber seeds. They
hoed like they went by steam. You
never see such ambitious farmers
in your life as they was--Just
then.
When they come in to dinner
they was Just stopping over with
Joy. Gardening was more fun
than a barrel of monkeys. But
they didn't seem to be in any real
hurry to get back to work. That
night they turned in right after
supper, which was unusual
Next morning / didn't hear a
word about gardens. When Van
Brunt dropped his napkin he hol-
Tered to me to come and pick II
up, and Hartley fed with his left
hand, and kept the right in his
jacket side pocket.
Well" says l, to brighten
things up; 81 cal'late them cuc'.m-
hers is ready to eat, pretty nigh,
by this time. Started on your corn
vet? No? Well, you mustn't lose
no time. It's late in the season
now. Come along with me and
I'll get you going"
/ headed for the door as
spoke. They looked at each other
again.
ITS pretty cloudy for plant
ing, isn't it," asks Hartley. 1--WE
might be caught in the rain, you
know"
Rain your granny" says /.
Them clouds is nothing but heat
fog"
They got up then and followed
me out. The hoes was laying by
the beds and / handed EN- one
apiece. They took 'em, not with
what you'd call enthusiasm. I
showed 'em how to plant the corn
and went away, leaving 'em lean
ing on their hoes. | got the
breakfast work done about ten
o'clock and then twas time to go
after the pig and the hens. |
took the skiff oars out of the
barn and then walked around by
the gardens to see how things was
getting on. There laid the hoes
by the places where the corn-hills
was intended to be. but there
want any corn-hills nor any
Heavenly gardeners either. |
hailed once or twice but didn't
get any answer. Then / went on
down to the skiff. And there
they was, sprawled out in the
shade OF the pines, as comfort
able as you please.
Hello, skipper" says Van
Brunt. turning over on one el-
bow. We've been waiting for
you. We're going with you after
the livestock.
you are?" says I. Got your
farming done SO early?"
'No-o," he drawls. mot pre-
cisely. The fact is, DOL, Hartley