They were already shouting over the idea, but I said dubiously, “How about the pails to catch the sap?”

“Well,” said Mr. Jones, “I’ve thought of that.  We’ve a lot of spare milk-pails and pans, that we’re not usin’.  Junior understands the business; and, as we’re not very busy, he can help you and take his pay in sugar.”

The subject of poultry was forgotten; and the children scampered off to the house to tell of this new project.

Before Mr. Jones and I left the basement, he said:  “You don’t want any partition here at present, only a few perches for the fowls.  There’s a fairish shed, you remember, in the upper barnyard, and when ’tain’t very cold or stormy the cow will do well enough there from this out.  The weather’ll be growin’ milder ’most every day, and in rough spells you can put her in here.  Chickens won’t do her any harm.  Law sakes! when the main conditions is right, what’s the use of havin’ everything jes’ so?  It’s more important to save your time and strength and money.  You’ll find enough to do without one stroke that ain’t needful.”  Thus John Jones fulfilled his office of mentor.

CHAPTER XVIII

BUTTERNUTS AND BOBSEY’S PERIL

I restrained the children until after dinner, which my wife hastened.  By that time Junior was on hand with a small wagon-load of pails and pans.

“Oh, dear, I wanted you to help me this afternoon,” my wife had said, but, seeing the dismayed look on the children’s faces, had added, “Well, there’s no hurry, I suppose.  We are comfortable, and we shall have stormy days when you can’t be out.”

I told her that she was wiser than the queen of Sheba and did not need to go to Solomon.

The horse was put in the barn, for he would have mired in the long spongy lane and the meadow which we must cross.  So we decided to run the light wagon down by hand.

Junior had the auger with which to bore holes in the trees.  “I tapped ’em last year, as old Mr. Jamison didn’t care about doin’ it,” said the boy, “an’ I b’iled the pot of sap down in the grove; but that was slow, cold work.  I saved the little wooden troughs I used last year, and they are in one of the pails.  I brought over a big kittle, too, which mother let me have, and if we can keep this and yours a-goin’, we’ll soon have some sugar.”

Away we went, down the lane, Junior and Merton in the shafts, playing horses.  I pushed in some places, and held back in others, while Winnie and Bobsey picked their way between puddles and quagmires.  The snow was so nearly gone that it lay only on the northern slopes.  We had heard the deep roar of the Moodna Creek all the morning, and had meant to go and see it right after breakfast; but providing a chickenhome had proved a greater attraction to the children, and a better investment of time for me.  Now from the top of the last hillside we saw a great flood rushing by with a hoarse, surging noise.