'Such a lot
of work it was! here's the list. Pancho will dump them on the ground
and let us settle them when we get there. Such a load! You should
have seen it! Hardly room for him to sit up in front with the
Chinaman. Just hear this,' and he drew a large document from what
Polly called 'a back-stairs pocket.'
'Forty cans corned beef, four guns, three Dutch cheeses, pickles,
fishing-tackle, flour, bacon, three bushels onions, crate of dishes,
Jack's banjo, potatoes, Short History of the English People, cooking
utensils, three hair pillows, box of ginger-snaps, four hammocks,
coffee, cartridges, sugar, Macaulay's Essays, Pond's extract, sixteen
hams, Bell's guitar, pop-corn, molasses, salt, St. Jacob's Oil,
Conquest of Mexico, sack of almonds, flea-powder, and smoked herring.
Whew! I packed them all myself.'
'In precisely that order?' questioned Polly.
'In precisely that order, Miss Oliver,' returned Phil, urbanely.
'Any one who feels that said packing might be improved upon has only
to mount the fleet Arabian yonder' (the animal alluded to seized this
moment to stand on three legs, hang his head, and look dejected),
'and, giving him the rein, speed o'er the trackless plain which leads
to San Miguel, o'ertake the team, and re-pack the contents according
to her own satisfaction.'
'No butter, nor eggs, nor fresh vegetables?' asked Margery. 'We
shall starve!'
'Not at all,' quoth Jack. 'Polly will gracefully dispose a horse-
blanket about her shoulders, to shield her from the chill dews of the
early morn, mount the pack mule exactly at cock-crow everyday, and
ride to a neighbouring ranch where there are tons of the aforesaid
articles awaiting our consumption.
Pages:
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33