I'm doubting it's being the best of news."

Well, poor Aunty May turned so white and sat down so quickly with her
face in her hands, that Aunty Edith, who came in the room just then from
putting the axe away in the shed, said, "Why, May, did the snake
frighten you as much as that?" Aunty May didn't answer. She just
clutched Mr. Taylor and said, "Where is it?" Then Mr. Taylor looked at
her and at Aunt Edith, and said "Sho" once or twice, and then he pulled
out of his pocket a long envelope, and put it in Aunty Edith's hands.

She sat down very quick, and tried to open it, but her hands shook so
that she couldn't. Aunty May took it from her and tore it open, and they
both leaned over and read it. Then Aunty Edith cried so for a while she
couldn't tell us anything, but at last Aunty May took my hand and we
went out on the porch, and she told us that Uncle Burt had got hurt in a
little fight--not a real battle, a "skirmish" with some natives, and he
was to be sent home on sick-leave.

Then she and Mr. Taylor talked about what the letter said, and he shook
his head, and told her it looked like a bad job to him. Aunty May told
me to go over and sit with Mr. Taylor while she talked with Aunty Edith.

Mr. Taylor and me sat there, not very happy, because I was thinking of
Uncle Burt, and somehow I couldn't make him sick or hurt, he was so big
and so very strong.

I said that to Mr. Taylor, and he said, "Them there guns don't care how
big and strong a man is, they picks 'em down. They're cruel things,
boy, firearms is. Don't you ever go a-monkeying with them, mind that." I
said I wouldn't.