Uriah gave a gasp, and said: "Hello! It looks as if there was a shower coming up, and my hay's out. Good-by, Mr. Hancock; we'll see you another day."
The bishop looked after them, as they walked away, and turned round with a twinkle in his eye. Seeing us laughing, he laughed too, and said:--
[Sidenote: NO ELDERS IN MR. HANCOCK'S DAY]
"I don't believe we shall have any elders in Lexington, boys. At least, not in my day."
When the winter came there were a great many quail about our barn. Smiling Bill Smith, who worked for us,--Old Bill Smiley some folks called him, on account of the broad grin he always wore,--said to me:--
"Them whales, Ben, pretty near bother the life out of me. They creep in through the cracks and crannies and eat the grain. If I go over by the grain chest, the first thing I know, there's a whir, and a cloud of them darts up in front of my face. Sometimes it makes my heart come right up in my mouth. I wish there wasn't a whale round the place."
"Quails, Bill. What makes you call them whales?"
"Whales I heard them called when I was a boy, and whales they are to me."
"Perhaps you think it was one of these whales that swallowed Jonah?"
"I never did think so, Benny. But if he did, it was a miracle, sure enough."
Davy helped me make a figure-4 trap to catch them. One Saturday morning I met Edmund down at John Buckman's store, trading some butter and eggs for tea and sugar.
"Come up to the house, Edmund. I've got a figure-4 trap; and we'll catch some quail."
We set the trap, and put some grain under the box. Several quail flew down, hopped about, and soon discovered the grain. While they were pecking away at it, they sprang the trap. The box fell over them, and we caught three.
"Now, Edmund, you find some grass-seed in the barn, and sprinkle it in a line from the door. And I'll go and get the gun, and we'll take a raking shot at them."
I went after the gun, and gave it to him. We hid in the barn, and before long some more quail flew down and began to eat the seed. When they were well in line he fired, and killed four and wounded several. The wounded ones hopped about, cried out, and took on piteously, and acted like so many little children in distress.
I did not like this at all, and Edmund seemed very much troubled.