out o' our beauty sleep we thought the whole Iroquois nation,
horse, foot, artillery an' baggage wagons, wuz comin' down upon
us. So we reckoned we'd better go out an' lick 'em afore it wuz
too late.

"But it's you, an' you've got turkeys, nothin' but turkeys. Sho'
I reckoned from the peart way Long Jim spoke up that you wuz
loaded down with hummin' birds' tongues, ortylans, an' all them
other Roman and Rooshian delicacies Paul talks about in a way to
make your mouth water. But turkeys! jest turkeys! Nothin' but
turkeys!"

"You jest wait till you see me cookin' 'em, Sol Hyde," said Long
Jim. "Then your mouth'll water, an' it'll take Henry and Tom both
to hold you back."

But Shif'less Sol's mouth was watering already, and his eyes were
glued on the turkeys.

"I'm a pow'ful lazy man, ez you know, Saplin'," he said, "but I'm
goin' to help you pick them turkeys an' get 'em ready for the
coals. The quicker they are cooked the better it'll suit me."

While they were cooking the turkeys, Henry, a little anxious lest
the sound of the shots had been heard, crossed on the stepping
stones and scouted a bit in the woods. But there was no sign of
Indian presence, and, relieved, he returned to the islet just as
breakfast was ready.

Long Jim had exerted all his surpassing skill, and it was a