THORNTON 45 



human and interesting; that is, all but the 

 snakes ! 



When the vanguard of the boys finds a swim- 

 ming hole and shouts and lifts two fingers, Mother 

 and I and the big little girl take to the tall hard- 

 wood timber that is one of Thornton's chief 

 attractions, prudently carrying the lunch baskets 

 with us to make sure that the boys will follow us up. 



In the woods the big little girl roams close by 

 for flowers, while Mother and I have a long, 

 peaceful, dreamy rest. We lie in the leaf-shadows, 

 gazing straight up through the wavering, swaying 

 green to the clear, steady blue above, listening 

 to the sweet country sounds; or we sit very still 

 against a tree trunk, watching the glint of the 

 blue birds' wings as they flit near us through 

 the lights and shadows, or the gleam of a sun- 

 burnished tanager's scarlet breast among the 

 high branches. 



The boys break in upon our reverie, coming 

 fresh and noisy and hungry to show their prey and 

 to clamor for their lunch; and fed, they are off 

 again, this time to the stone-quarry and the 

 crushers. 



On the quarry's brink they lie down flat upon 

 their lunches, and squirming to the very edge, 

 look down into the terrifying abyss below, with 



