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Updated: May 20, 2025
His loving family minus Tilly and Jacky, who were abed encircled the table, variously employed; and George stood at his elbow, fastening up a pair of bookshelves of primitive construction, coupled together by means of green cord. While thus domestically employed, they heard a loud, steady thumping outside. The Sudberrys were well acquainted by this time with that sound and its cause.
Worthy Mrs McAllister never joined in the debate, except by a single remark now and then. She knew her son thoroughly, and before the Sudberrys had been a week at the White House she understood Hobbs through and through. She was wont to sit at her spinning-wheel regarding this intellectual sparring with grave interest, as a peculiar phase of the human mind.
With wonderful sagacity did these creatures come to perceive that when the Sudberrys brought out chairs and stools after breakfast, and sat down thereon, they, the fowls, were in for a feed! And it was surprising the punctuality with which they assembled each fine morning for this purpose. Most of the family simply enjoyed the thing; but Mr Sudberry, in addition to enjoying it, studied it.
The same air, with telegraphic speed, conveyed to the collie dogs of the place the information that the Sudberrys were abroad; whereupon the whole pack nine in number bounded open-mouthed up the hill, with noise and ferocity enough to have alarmed the bravest of the brave. No wonder then that poor Jacky rushed into his father's knees, being too small to run into his arms.
At last the end of the Sudberrys' rustication arrived; the last day of their sojourn dawned. It happened to be bright and beautiful so bright and lovely that it made one feel as if there never had been a bad day since the world began, and never would be another bad one to the end of time.
"I can enlighten you on that point," said Lucy, eagerly opening the lid of a small basket which hung on her arm, and displaying the small suit of Highland clothing in which Jacky had been conveyed home on the night when the Sudberrys were lost on the hills. "This suit came out of the large chest; and as I knew you meant to visit Moggy to-day, I brought it with me."
"Let me sit down, pa, pray do!" cried Lucy. Her father rose quickly, and Lucy dropped into his place quite exhausted. "Come, father, relieve me!" cried Fred. "I'm done up, and my partner won't give in." From the time that the Sudberrys entered she had not ceased to dance reel after reel, without a minute of breathing-time.
There being, then, no limit to the wanderings of the Sudberrys, they one and all gave themselves over deliberately to a spirit of riotous rambling. Of course they all, on various occasions, lost themselves, despite the compasses; but, having become experienced mountaineers, they always took good care to find themselves again before sunset.
The Sudberrys felt very happy that day on returning home. They overtook old Moggy, stumping along through mud and water, with tears bedewing her cheeks. "Why, Moggy, you are all wet!" said Fred, hastening towards her. "Ay, I fell into a dub as I cam out o' the kirk. But, ech! sirs, I've heard blessed words this day." The Sudberrys spent that evening in their usual way.
"No use!" said he. But the woman repeated her advice in a tone that was equivalent to a command, so the man rose up sulkily and went. He was not a little surprised, on drawing near to the hut, to find it in a state of bustle, and apparently in possession of the Sudberrys. Not daring to show himself; he slunk back to his encampment, and informed his female companion of what he had seen.
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