"I didn't feed her ALL she would eat!"said Leon."If I had,she'd be at it yet.She was starved sure enough!You never saw anything like the corn she downed.""Well I declare!"said mother."Now after this,take her out alone,for a few days,and give her as much as she wants.""All right!"chuckled Leon,because it was a lot of fun to see her run her bill around,and gobble up the corn,and stick up her head.
The next day was Saturday,so after breakfast I went with Leon to drive the sheep and geese to the creek to water;the trough was so high it was only for the horses and cattle;when we let out the geese,the blue one wasn't there.
"Oh Leon,did you forget to come back and put her in?""Yes I did!"he said."I meant to when I looked at you to keep still,and I started to do it,but Sammy Deam whistled,so I went down in the orchard to see what he wanted,and we got to planning how to get up a fox chase,and I stayed until father called for night,and then I ran and forgot all about the blame old goose.""Oh Leon!Where is she?What will mother say?'Spose a fox got her!""It wouldn't help me any if it had,after I was to blame for leaving her outside.Blast a girl!If you ever amounted to anything,you could have put her in while I fixed the horses.At least you could have told me to."I stood there dumblike and stared at him.He has got the awfulest way of telling the truth when he is scared or provoked.
Of course I should have thought of the goose when he was having such a hard fight with the horses.If I'd been like he was,I'd have told him that he was older,mother told HIM to do it,and it wasn't my fault;but in my heart I knew he did have his hands full,and if you're your brother's keeper,you ought to HELP your brother remember.So I stood gawking,while Leon slowly turned whiter and whiter.
"We might as well see if we can find her,"he said at last,so slow and hopeless like it made my heart ache.So he started around the straw stack one way,and I the other,looking into all the holes,and before I had gone far I had a glimpse of her,and it scared me so I screamed,for her head was down,and she didn't look right.Leon came running and pulled her out.The swelled corn rolled in a little trail after her,and the pigs ran up and began to eat it.Pigs are named righter than anything else I know.
"Busted!"cried Leon in tones of awe;about the worst awe you ever heard,and the worst bust you ever saw.
From bill to breast she was wide open,and the hominy spilling.
We just stood staring at her,and then Leon began to kick the pigs;because it would be no use to kick the goose;she would never know.Then he took her up,carried her into the barn,and put her on the floor where the other geese had stayed all night.
We stood and looked at her some more,as if looking and hoping would make her get up and be alive again.But there's nothing in all this world so useless as wishing dead things would come alive;we had to do something.
"What are you going to tell mother?"
"Shut up!"said Leon."I'm trying to think.""I'll say it was as much my fault as yours.I'll go with you.
I'll take half whatever they do to you."
"Little fool!"said Leon."What good would that do me?""Do you know what they cost?Could you get another with some of your horse money?"I saw it coming and dodged again,before I remembered the Crusaders.
"All right!"I said."If that's the way you are going to act,Smarty,I'll lay all the blame on you;I won't help you a bit,and I don't care if you are whipped until the blood runs."Then I went out of the barn and slammed the door.For a minute I felt better;but it was a short time.I SAID that to be mean,but I did care.I cared dreadfully;I was partly to blame,and I knew it.Coming around the barn,I met Laddie,and he saw in a flash I was in trouble,so he stopped and asked:"What now,Chicken?""Come into the barn where no one will hear us,"I said.
So we went around the outside,entered at the door on the embankment,and he sat in the wheelbarrow on the threshing floor while I told him.I thought I felt badly enough,but after I saw Laddie,it grew worse,for I remembered we were short of money that fall,that the goose was a fine,expensive one,and how proud mother was of her,and how she'd be grieved,and that was trouble for sure.
"Run along and play!"said Laddie,"and don't tell any one else if you can help it.I'll hide the goose,and see if I can get another in time to take the place of this one,so mother won't be worried."I walked to the house slowly,but I was afraid to enter.When you are all choked up,people are sure to see it,and ask fool questions.So I went around to the gate and stood there looking up and down the road,and over the meadow toward the Big Woods;and all at once,in one of those high,regular bugle calls,like they mostly scream in spring,one of Pryors'ganders split the echoes for a mile;maybe farther.
I was across the road and slinking down inside the meadow fence before I knew it.There was no thought or plan.I started for Pryors' and went straight ahead,only I kept out of line with our kitchen windows.I tramped through the slush,ice,and crossed fields where I was afraid of horses;but when I got to the top of the Pryor backyard fence,I stuck there,for the bulldogs were loose,and came raving at me.I was going to be eaten alive,for I didn't know the word Laddie did;and those dogs climbed a fence like a person;I saw them the time Leon brought back Even So.I was thinking what a pity it was,after every one had grown accustomed to me,and had begun loving me,that I should be wasted for dog feed,when Mr.Pryor came to the door,and called them;they didn't mind,so he came to the fence,and crossest you ever heard,every bit as bad as the dogs,he cried:"Whose brat are you,and what are you doing here?"I meant to tell him;but you must have a minute after a thing like that.
