Fourth of July. Isn't it, Russ? They don't have shooters only on the
Fourth of July."

"They do down here," said Russ, reaching the kennel and looking in while
Bobo stood by as though he still wondered why Mun Bun and Margy had
tried to turn him out of his house.

Just then one of the colored men, who was a gardener, came along and
stooped to look into the kennel too.

"For de lan's sake!" he cried, "what you childern doin' in dat dog
kennel?"

"We--we were playing Christmas tree," said Margy, grabbing hold of
Rose's hand.

"For de lan's sake!" repeated the man, showing the whites of his eyes in
a most astonishing way. "What dat in dere?"

"That's our Christmas tree," said Mun Bun, very bravely now.

"For de lan's sake!" ejaculated the man for a third time. "What Mistah
Armatage gwine to say now? Dat's his bestest rubber plant what he tol'
me to take partic'lar care of. What will you lil' w'ite childern be up
to next, I'm a-wondering?"




CHAPTER XVI