Richie had called it a jungle--were wild beasts; there were also
crackers and apples--or to be exact, breadfruit and citrons--hanging
from what George called "harness-racks," though of course, as
thoughtful persons know, they were trees; David was to gather these
tropical spoils, and then escape from the leopard, the shark, the
crocodile! And now there was Dr. King, spoiling everything.

The doctor sat down on a keg and looked at the two, smiling. "Which is
the younger of you?" he said. It came over him, in a gust of
amusement, what Martha would say to such a scene, and he laughed
aloud.

"Dr. King," said David, in a small distinct voice, "won't Jinny run
away, if you leave her so long at gate?"

"Oh, David!" cried Mrs. Richie, horrified. But the visitor threw back
his head with a shout.

"That's what my wife would call speaking 'flatly and frankly'! Well,
Mrs. Richie, I never wrote a better prescription in my life. You look
like a different woman, already."

And, indeed, the youth in her face was as careless as David's own. But
it flagged when he added that he hoped her brother would not think the
care of David would be too much for her.

"Oh, no," she said, briefly.

"I feel like saying 'I told you so'! I knew you would like to have a
child about."