Веснянки

           Thenhestarteddowntheline,talkingtohimselfasmenwhohaveworkedlongalonealwaysfallintothehabitofdoing.

           “WhatafoolIhavebeen!”hemuttered.“Ofcoursethat’swhatIhavetodo!Therewouldn’tlikelyanybodybedoingitforme.OfcourseIcan!WhatamIamanfor?IfIwasafour-footedthingoftheswamp,maybeIcouldn’t;butamancandoanythingifhe’sthegrittoworkhardenoughandstickatit,Mr.McLeanisalwayssaying,andhere’sthewayIamtodoit.Hesaid,too,thattherewerepeoplethatkneweverythingintheswamp.Ofcoursetheyhavewrittenbooks!Thethingformetobedoingistoquitmopingandbebuyingsome.Neverboughtabookinmelife,oranythingelseofmuchaccount,forthatmatter.Oh,ain’tIgladIdidn’twastememoney!I’llsurelybehavingenoughtogetafew.Letmesee.”

           Frecklessatonalog,tookhispencilandaccount-book,andfiguredonabackpage.Hehadwalkedthetimber-linetenmonths.Hispaywasthirtydollarsamonth,andhisboardcosthimeight.Thatlefttwenty-twodollarsamonth,andhisclothinghadcosthimverylittle.Attheleasthehadtwohundreddollarsinthebank.Hedrewadeepbreathandsmiledattheskywithsatisfaction.

           “I’llbehavingabookaboutallthebirds,trees,flowers,butterflies,and——Yes,bygummy!I’llbehavingoneaboutthefrogs—ifittakeseverycentIhave,”hepromisedhimself.

           Heputawaytheaccount-book,thatwashismostcherishedpossession,caughtuphisstick,andstarteddowntheline.