had suspected what a foolhardy project was in Nate's mind he would have
held back from the race.

As it was, they both planted themselves against a tree, shouted, "One,
two, three!" and off they started. No one was watching, no one
remembered afterward which way they were going.




VIII

STEALING A CHIMNEY


The "knitting-woman" sat knitting in her chamber that looked up the
mountain side, and thinking how the zebra kitten had suffered from her
enemy, the clam. Mrs. McQuilken's own cats were most of them asleep; the
blind canary was eating her supper of hemp-seed; and the noisy magpie
had run off to chat with the dog and hens. The room seemed remarkably
quiet. Mrs. McQuilken narrowed two stitches and glanced out of the
window.

"Mercy upon us!" she exclaimed, though there was not a soul to hear her.
"Mercy upon us, what are those boyoes doing atop of that house?"

In her astonishment she actually dropped her knitting-work on the floor
and rushed out of the room crying, "Fire!" though there was not a spark
of fire to be seen.