So pretty Soon _Jib Jab, is he human?_ admitted that he was Horace E.
Chandler, and Harry Donnelle said it was mighty lucky we had decided to
stay over night in that neighborhood. He said he had always thought that
the world was about as big as a cocoanut, but now he knew it was the
size of a green pea. He said the trouble with it was there wasn’t enough
elbow room, and scouts couldn’t get away into the woods and be alone,
because on account of the crowds—crowds of missing people. Oh, he was
great and, believe me, we liked that fellow.
None of those Church Mice even knew that Horace E. Chandler was Jib Jab
who was in the circus. On the quiet, Jib told us that Mr. Costello
didn’t mind his leaving like that, because _what-is-its_ were easy to
get, on account of so many of them being out of work—I mean people. But
Jib said, Mr. Costello told him he was the best _what-is-it_ he ever
had, and he would give him a good recommendation, if he wanted it.
So that’s the end of _Jib Jab is he human?_ And, gee, you’ll have to
admit he was human, all right. He said he wouldn’t go home to Greendale
unless the Church Mice went with him and stayed for a few days on his
father’s farm. Harry Donnelle stood up for him and said that was right.
I bet he knew about it all the time. He said that he wouldn’t trust
Chandler to go home alone.
“Now you’ve got him, hang onto him,” that’s what he said to Brent.
“Safety first, don’t take any chances. Go up there and get your hundred.
These discharged soldiers are a bad lot. See what kind of a farm he
lives on, and if it’s any good we’ll hike up there next summer and strip
the apple trees. Got any good russets up there, Horace?”
So that’s the way they fixed it, and the next morning Horace Chandler
and the Church Mice started off on their journey to Greendale. Brent
Gaylong said he was going to ’phone home from Kingston, so that their
people would know. Anyway, I guess their mothers and fathers wouldn’t
worry much, because Brent was the kind of a fellow they could trust,
that was one sure thing.
Harry told Horace Chandler to start off with them just as if they were
going to hike all the way, and then when they got good and tired, to buy
tickets on the railroad. Do you know what I think? I think Harry had
some money and that he gave it to Horace so he could do that. That’s
what I kind of think. It would be just like him anyway.
One thing, you’re going to meet all those fellows again, but not in this
story. Because after a while we went up to that farm in Greendale and
camped there, and met old Major Chandler and Mr. Wade and Horace, and
had a lot of fun, you can bet. It’s a whole story all by itself. They
have dandy russet apples up there, and, oh boy, can’t Horace’s sister
Betty make apple dumplings. I ate four one night. Hunt Manners ate six,
but anyway he started before I did.
CHAPTER XXXIV
A GOOD IDEA
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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