Martin Worthy was taking down the shutters at the store
and calling through the window to his wife, who was unscrewing them on
the inside. A farmer had left his team in front of the bar, and she
saw him taking his morning drink at the counter and heard Buck
Hillhouse giving him an exaggerated report of the visit of the
Whitecaps. The eastern sky was yellowing, and a peak of the tallest
mountain cut a brown gash in the coming sunlight. At the fence in
front of Bufford Webb's cottage a cow stood lowing for admittance, and
a milking-pail hung on the gate.
As Harriet passed, Mrs. Webb came out with a bucket of "slop" for the
pig in a pen near the fence. She rested it on the top rail to speak to
Harriet, but the hungry animal made such a noise that she hastened
first to empty the vessel into the trough.
"Good-morning," she said, going quickly to the gate and wiping her
hands on her apron; "did you-uns heer the racket last night?"
"Yes," answered Harriet.
"I didn't sleep a wink. We could see 'em frum the kitchen winder.
It's a outrage, but I'm glad they did no rail harm.
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