an’ I he’ped get the light ud fer fire, an’ then she sont me home to he’p maw whilst she stayed to fix up.”

“But now, I mean, when you came up here?”

“Weavin’ in the loom shed. Maw, she has a lot o’ little biddies. The ol’ hen hatched ‘em, she did.”

“What have you done to your thumb?” asked David, seeing it tied about with a rag.

“I plunked hit with the hammer when I war a-makin’ houses fer the biddies. I nailed ‘em, I did.”

“You made the chicken coops? Well, you are a clever little chap. Let me see your hand.”

“Yas, maw said I war that, too.”