heard a truck on the river bank honking its horn. He thrust four hens hastily into their coop. Then he shoved the boats, houseboat and all close to the bank to get gas. The man on the truck reached his long hose over to the barrels on the cabin boat and filled them.
The children kept talking about what had happened.
“Was I ever scared!” cried Bunny. “I ran and hid under the bed.”
“Under the bed is a good safe place,” said Mama.
“Look what’s happened inside, Mama!” cried Patsy. “Everything is knocked to pieces.”
They went in and began picking things up. Patsy threw the broken dishes into the river and watched them sink to the bottom.
“Mama,” said Patsy thoughtfully, “I was glad Milly was here with us. She tried to do what she could.”
“There was nothing she could do,” said Mama.
“I listened to her,” said Patsy. “I took the oar and paddled to keep us from going down river.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” said Mama.
“Do you know what, Mama?” Patsy went on. “Guess what I saw on that towboat! The cook came to the door of the galley and dumped out a bucket of potato peelings—to feed the fishes!”
Dan and Bunny laughed.
“And do you know what else I saw, hanging by the galley door?” said Patsy. “A great big stalk of bananas!”
“You saw all that?” Mama laughed.
“Oh Mama, those bananas looked so good … ” said Patsy. “I just wanted me a banana so -o- bad!”
“I guess you weren’t so scared, after all,” said Mama. “I tried to buy bananas in town, but couldn’t find any.”
Bunny looked through the grocery sacks and found a sack of hard candy. The children filled their mouths until their cheeks puffed out.
“Did you go to the post office, Mama?” asked Milly.
“Yes,” said Mama. “No package. I told him if it came to forward it to Tiptonville.”
Soon Daddy had everything under control and the houseboat resumed its voyage. Patsy was brokenhearted to leave four of her chickens behind, but it could not be helped. She still had Shoo-Fly, Mrs. Cackle, Jenny Brown and Fluffy Tail. It was about ten in the morning when they started, but they did not go far. About two and a half miles south of New Madrid Daddy tied up. Nearby was a concrete bank with a sandy stretch at the bottom.
“What are we stopping here for?” asked Milly.
“I want to do the washing,” said Mama.
The children did not wait to ask questions. They jumped off the deck and started running up and down the concrete. They shouted and sang while Blackie pranced and barked. They acted as if they had never been on land before.
The sun had come out but it was still windy—a good day to dry clothes. Daddy hunted driftwood and built fires under the washpot and washtub. Then he stretched the clothesline from the back porch post to a tree. While Mama and Milly washed, the children chased Blackie up the river bank. They found some hedge apples on a bushy tree. The apples were green and hard like walnuts and the children wanted to eat them, but Mama made them throw them away. On the overhanging branch of an oak tree, Dan and Patsy practised skinning the cat and other acrobatic stunts. Soon the clothes were blowing merrily in the breeze, the line propped up with Mama’s own precious clothes props brought all the way from Illinois.
Patsy stood by counting. “Five dresses, nine overalls, twelve shorts, nine shirts and four skirts…”
“And that’s not all,” added Mama, pointing to another pile.
Daddy caught some fish and Mama fried them over the campfire on the sand. Eating outdoors was like a picnic. The sun came out good and hot, so the children put on their bathing suits and waded and splashed in the water. Patsy swam out and came back many times. Mama gave the children soap for baths. She washed all their heads and they dried their hair in the sun.
About four o’clock, Daddy got ready to move on.
“We’ll have to find a better harbor,” he said. “We can’t stay
The children kept talking about what had happened.
“Was I ever scared!” cried Bunny. “I ran and hid under the bed.”
“Under the bed is a good safe place,” said Mama.
“Look what’s happened inside, Mama!” cried Patsy. “Everything is knocked to pieces.”
They went in and began picking things up. Patsy threw the broken dishes into the river and watched them sink to the bottom.
“Mama,” said Patsy thoughtfully, “I was glad Milly was here with us. She tried to do what she could.”
“There was nothing she could do,” said Mama.
“I listened to her,” said Patsy. “I took the oar and paddled to keep us from going down river.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” said Mama.
“Do you know what, Mama?” Patsy went on. “Guess what I saw on that towboat! The cook came to the door of the galley and dumped out a bucket of potato peelings—to feed the fishes!”
Dan and Bunny laughed.
“And do you know what else I saw, hanging by the galley door?” said Patsy. “A great big stalk of bananas!”
“You saw all that?” Mama laughed.
“Oh Mama, those bananas looked so good … ” said Patsy. “I just wanted me a banana so -o- bad!”
“I guess you weren’t so scared, after all,” said Mama. “I tried to buy bananas in town, but couldn’t find any.”
Bunny looked through the grocery sacks and found a sack of hard candy. The children filled their mouths until their cheeks puffed out.
“Did you go to the post office, Mama?” asked Milly.
“Yes,” said Mama. “No package. I told him if it came to forward it to Tiptonville.”
Soon Daddy had everything under control and the houseboat resumed its voyage. Patsy was brokenhearted to leave four of her chickens behind, but it could not be helped. She still had Shoo-Fly, Mrs. Cackle, Jenny Brown and Fluffy Tail. It was about ten in the morning when they started, but they did not go far. About two and a half miles south of New Madrid Daddy tied up. Nearby was a concrete bank with a sandy stretch at the bottom.
“What are we stopping here for?” asked Milly.
“I want to do the washing,” said Mama.
The children did not wait to ask questions. They jumped off the deck and started running up and down the concrete. They shouted and sang while Blackie pranced and barked. They acted as if they had never been on land before.
The sun had come out but it was still windy—a good day to dry clothes. Daddy hunted driftwood and built fires under the washpot and washtub. Then he stretched the clothesline from the back porch post to a tree. While Mama and Milly washed, the children chased Blackie up the river bank. They found some hedge apples on a bushy tree. The apples were green and hard like walnuts and the children wanted to eat them, but Mama made them throw them away. On the overhanging branch of an oak tree, Dan and Patsy practised skinning the cat and other acrobatic stunts. Soon the clothes were blowing merrily in the breeze, the line propped up with Mama’s own precious clothes props brought all the way from Illinois.
Patsy stood by counting. “Five dresses, nine overalls, twelve shorts, nine shirts and four skirts…”
“And that’s not all,” added Mama, pointing to another pile.
Daddy caught some fish and Mama fried them over the campfire on the sand. Eating outdoors was like a picnic. The sun came out good and hot, so the children put on their bathing suits and waded and splashed in the water. Patsy swam out and came back many times. Mama gave the children soap for baths. She washed all their heads and they dried their hair in the sun.
About four o’clock, Daddy got ready to move on.
“We’ll have to find a better harbor,” he said. “We can’t stay
Similar Books
