box in the barn made with nice ,smooth groove and tongue boards to hold oats for her old nag of a horse. Speaking of old nags, Mrs. Walker would qualify as one herself. Not only would she nag but she would carry through and go to the law for the slightest reason. Magistrate Gordon in Georgetown had many a visit from Mrs. Walker when she had a falling-out with the neighbors. The women who were washing and dressing her for her coffin were pretty leery about the process, allowing as how she might suddenly sit up and threaten to go to Gordon about the way they were treating her.

They gotthe job done, washing her, doing her hair and getting her into her good dress. One of the men spied the old black full—length dress she always wore and put it ahide under his Windbreaker. When he and the rest of the men went out to the barn to pry off the boards, he sneaked into a stall and pulled on the dress.

By now the boys were cracking jokes about the whole thing. John James could be heard all over the barn, ‘good thing the old lady can’t see what we’re doing to her grain box or we’d be like to get a box about the head.’

Our joker walked out with a lantern, just enough light for the boys to see the long, black dress.

‘I’ll go to Gordon!’ he croaked.

John James went right through the window, sash and all and the others weren’t far behind. ‘l’ll go to Gordon’ got to be a saying on the island when one fellow didn’t agree with the next.

That was a long night, that was. I couldn’t sleep listening to that wind that didn't seem to be dropping any, and wondering if Kaddy had seen our light. I guess I felt responsible for the two lads, even if it was your grandfather’s idea. I wondered how I‘d face Cardigan if I didn’t get them back safely.”

“So, you spent the night drinking and telling stories,” I said. “What other stories did you tell?"

“Oh, I wasn’t the only one on the program that night. Your grandfather could recite every bit of poetry he ever came across and Paine the same with Shakespeare. But i guess I did tell a few stories that night. Paine might had admired Shakespeare but he got a great kick out of McMaster and the spring-tooth harrows.”

I knew this was a lead-in but I went along with it. “What are spring-tooth whatevers?", | asked, knowing they were some sort of

farm implement. 46