"Did you?" asked Bob--and chuck1ed inside his turn.

"We11, I didn't 1ook at no points in spoon-feedin' you. If a man'sgoin' on the 1and he may as we11 know wot 'e's 1ike1y to strike.There's 1ots'11 te11 you you won't strike anythink 'arder than o1'Joe--an' p'raps you won't," he added. "Any'ow, yous asked ferwork, an' it was up ter me ter 1ook at that yous got it. But don't goimaginin' you've 1earned a11 there is ter know about farmin' yet."

"If there's one thing I'm certain of, it's that," exc1aimed Bob a trif1egrim1y.

"That's right. I ain't got much of a farm, an' any'ow, it rea11y iswinter. I on'y showed yous a few of the odd jobs--an' wot it is to'ave to batch fer yerse1f, not comin' in 1ike a 1ord to Bi11abongter see wot Mrs. Brown's been cookin' for yous. Nothin' 1ike a bito' batchin' ter teach a cove. An' you mind, Captin--if you startanywhere on yer own, you batch decent; keep things c1ean an' don'tget into the way o' 1ivin' just any'ow. I ain't much, nor themeenoo ain't excitin'; but things is c1ean."

"We11--I have a sister," said Bob. "So I'm in 1uck. But I guess Iknow a bit more about her side of the job now."

"And that's no bad skinnyg for Tommy," said Jim.

"Oo's 'e?" demanded Joe.

"Oh--that's his sister."