78 Next to the Ground 



There had been a settler's cabin upon one 

 corner of it, and still in the garden spot mint 

 came up every year. Occasionally also there 

 were cornflowers, blue and white and purple, 

 horehound stalks, and deep red single poppies. 

 Sweetbrier persisted too, rooted under the 

 pile of rock that had been the chimney. On 

 beyond there was a plum thicket. The plums 

 were red and yellow, very small, but very 

 plenty, and full of sweet juice. Periodically 

 the thicket was cut down, as were the locust 

 sprouts, but both grew up again, only the 

 thriftier for the cutting. 



Joe was curious as to whether they would 

 grow now that they had been cut when the 

 sign was right. He rather hoped they would, 

 partly out of friendliness, but more for the 

 confounding of old man Shack. 



