He swung his wagon away. Cindy guided Alec in and slid off Sparkle. The roan pony tossed his head, kicked his heels, and went trotting off to join Sunshine and Pete's other pony. Jed Simpson came to the wagon, and beyond the oak grove Pete had left his work and was coming. Mr. Simpson smiled at his son. "Hello, Alec!" "Hi there, Dad!" "How are your mother and sister?" "Right as can be," Alec said. "Gramps and Granny have moved in with them, and Mother hopes you'll send for her soon." "I'll do it as soon as things are ready," Mr. Simpson agreed. "It better not be too long," Alec said. "Mother says she's coming anyhow, and Gramps knows the way." "Hm-m," Mr. Simpson stroked his chin. "What did you bring?" "Your plow, Mr. Brent's, spades, mattocks, saws, axes, nails." Alec listed the tools and supplies he had brought, and finished, "and Mother's dishes and stove along with plenty to eat." Cindy said blissfully, "I'll fix a meal right away!" "It's too early for supper," Alec protested. "You," Jed Simpson told his son, "have not been living on unsalted fish for nearly two days. I suppose you brought harnesses for the mules?" "Oh, sure. I didn't forget." "Then the first thing we must do is plow a couple of furrows clear around this homestead. Afterwards we'll plant a vegetable garden." "I'll plow the furrows!" Alec said eagerly. "Just show me where you want 'em!" While their father showed Alec the corners, Cindy started preparing a meal. She couldn't fix any beans. They would have taken three hours, which was easily two and a half hours too long, but she bent over the skillet to sniff the aroma of frying bacon and lifted the top from the kettle a dozen times just to watch the potatoes bubbling. While Mr. Simpson showed Alec the boundaries of their homestead, Pete unloaded both plows, unhitched the horses from the wagon and hitched them to his plow, and started plowing. "Don't go too far," Cindy advised. "Dinner will be ready soon." "I'll be ready too," Pete promised. "But there's about a month's work to be done, and it looks as though we'll have to do all of it this week." Alec and Mr. Simpson came back, hitched the mules, and Alec started plowing furrows. Cindy tried the potatoes with a fork, discovered that they were soft clear through, and drained them. She added another small handful of salt to that which she had put in when the potatoes started cooking. Until she'd had to do without salt, she'd never known how much she could miss it or how important it was. When everything was ready, she called her father and Pete. [Illustration: _When everything was ready, she called her father and Pete_]