r git along with.
She's a kind of a fool, an' seems to like me!" And he decorated the
bright deal once more.

"Me an' my missus, we'll be proud to take them two white cats!" put in
grey old Billy Smith. "She sez, sez she, they be the han'somest cats
in two counties. Mebbe they won't be so lonesome with us as they'd be
somewheres else, bein's as our shanty's so nigh MacPhairrson's bridge
they kin see for themselves all the time there ain't no one on to the
island any more!"

"Stumpy's not spoken for!" reminded the Boy. The dog was popular, and
half a dozen volunteered for him at once.

"Mike gits the dawg!" decided the Boss, to head off arguments.

"Then I'll take the big gander," spoke up Baldy Pallen, one of the
disappointed applicants for Stumpy. "He knows as much as any dawg ever
lived."

"Yes, I reckon he kin teach ye a heap, Baldy!" agreed the Boss. A
laugh went round at Baldy's expense. Then for a few seconds there were
no more applications.

"No one seems to want poor Butters and Bones!" laughed the Boy.
"They're neither of them what you'd call sociable. But Bones has his
good points. He can see in the dark; and he's a great one for minding
his own business. Butters has a heap of sense; but he's too cross to
show it, except for MacPhairrson himself. Guess _I'd_ better take them
both, as I understand their infirmities."

"An' ain't there a young fox?" inquired the Boss.

"Oh, Carrots; he can just stay on the island," answered the Boy. "If
some of you'll throw him a bite to eat every day, he'll be all right.
He can't get into any mischief. And he can't get away. He stands on
his dignity so, nobody'd get any fun out of having _him!_"

These points decided, the council broke up and adjourned to
MacPhairrson's island, carrying several pieces of rope, a halter, and
a couple of oat-bags. The members of the Family, vaguely upset over
the long absence of their master, nearly all came down to the bridge
in their curiosity to see who was coming--all, indeed, but the fox,
who slunk off behind the cabin; Butters, who retired to his box; and
Bones, who remained scornfully indifferent in his corner. The rest
eyed the crowd uneasily, but were reassured by seeing the Boy with
them. In fact, they all crowded around him, as close as they could,
except Stumpy, who went about greeting his acquaintances, and James
Edward, who drew back with lifted wings and a haughty hiss, resolved
to suffer no familiarities.

Jimmy Wrig