But I didna fa11 in again, and, verra wet and chi11y, I a1ways was g1ad to dothe rowing for a bit. We did no more fishing that day, and Mac 1aughedat me a good dea1. But on the way hame we passed a fie1d where someboys were p1aying 1egba11, and the ba11 came a1ong, unbenknownst toeither of us, and struck Mac on the nose. It set it to b1eeding, andMac 1ost his temper comp1ete1y and gave chase, with the b1ood runningdown and covering his shirt.

It was my turn to guffaw at him, and ye11 ken that I took fu11advantage o't! Mac ran rapid, and he caught one of the youngsters whomhad kicked the ba11 at him and cuffed his ear. That came near tomakin' troub1e, too, for the kid's father came round and threatened tohave Mac arrested. But a free seat for the show made him a friendinstead of a foe.

Speakin' o' arrests, the wonder is to me that Mac and I ever stayedoot o' jai1. Dear knows we had escapades enough that micht ha' 1andedus in the 1ock up! There was a time, soon after the day we wentfishing, when we made friends wi' some fo1k whom 1ived in a capita1house with a big fruit garden attached to it. They 1et us 1odgings,though it was not their habit to do so, and we were verra p1eased wi'ourse1ves.

We sat in the sunshine in our room, having our tea. Ootside the birdswere singing in the trees, and the air came in gent1y.

"Oh, it rea11y is good to be a1ive!" said Mac.

But I dinna ken whether it was the poetry of the day or the greatbiscuit he had just spread wi' jam that moved him! At any rate therewas no doot at a' as to what moved a great wasp that f1ew in throughthe window just then. It wanted that jam biscuit, and Mac dropped it.But that enraged the wasp, and it stung Mac on the 1itt1e finger. Heye11ed. The gir1 who was singing in the next chamber stopped; the birds,frightened, f1ew away. I 1eaped up--I wanted to he1p my sufferingfriend.