"I rather think they are after the cherries. The fruit seems to have ripened quickly these last two days, and robins are very fond of ripe cherries."
"Whose cherry trees are they, Jimmy?"
"I don"t know, Natty, but the field is said to belong to this farm, so I am going to ask Mr. Ames if the cherries are on our property. You see, they grow on the line with the fence, so I cannot tell what the land-law says about them."
Mr. Ames was now seen driving leisurely along the dusty road, and the three who were awaiting him walked down to the gate and stood under the great elm tree watching his approach.
"Good-mornin"," called he, when within hearing.
"Good-morning," chorused the waiting group.
"I be"n thinkin" sence yistiddy, when I druv past them churry trees, there, that you"se oughter pick "em right off! Ef you don"t the durned robins"ll spile all the fruit fer youh," announced the farmer, not waiting to draw up to the gate.
"Oh, we wanted to ask you if the trees belonged to us," returned Mrs.
James.
"Why, sure! Who else kin claim "em?" said he.
"They stand on the fence-line, so we were not sure," explained Natalie, showing off her newly-acquired land-learning.
"It ain"t that they"re standin" on the survey line, but that the last farmer here used them trees fer fence-posts to nail the wire on. That saved him three hull chestnut posts, see?"
"Oh, I see!" returned Mrs. James. "But how far off the line is his fence? Are the trees inside or outside the wire fence?"
"Well, as fur as I remember now, he ran the fence about a foot this side the line-path. Your proppity ackchully goes out a foot furder on the road, but runnin" the wire where he did, he managed to get the use outen all them trees what grow along the road. He saved "most fifteen dollars in posts by doin" that."
Mrs. James studied the situation for a few moments and then said: "When was the wire fence stretched on this line?"
"Why, lemme see!" and Farmer Ames shoved his hat over one ear while he scratched his head for the necessary intelligence to beam forth. "That was the last year, before one, that he lived here."
"Then the fence has stood on that line about three years?" persisted Mrs. James.
"Yeh, about that."
"Well, then, I"ll tell Mr. Marvin to order you to change it. When you get time you can plan to put up posts on the _right_ property line and remove the old wire fence."
Natalie and Janet wondered why anyone should bother over such a little matter, but Mr. Ames understood, and smiled.
"I reckon you knows somethin" about proppity law, eh?"
"I know this much-that if that fence is allowed to stand without protest for a certain time the land becomes public property, and Natalie would have a lawsuit on her hands if she ever sold it or wished to claim it again. The fence should never have been placed back from the line, even if it saved fifteen dollars. Those three cherry trees are worth ten times that sum, and once they become public property we can never regain rights in them."
Thus the two girls learned a bit of amazing real estate law while they stood by the wagon. When Mrs. James concluded, Natalie told Mr. Ames they wished to go to the store, so he gladly made room for them on the seat beside him.
Janet and Natalie had no difficulty in enlisting Nancy Sherman and Hester Tompkins in a proposed membership of the new Patrol, and these two girls promised to interest Mabel Holmes and Sue Harper. So there were already four girls, each about fourteen years old.
"I"m sure Dorothy Ames will join right off, "cause she knows a girl at White Plains who is a Scout, and Dot wanted to start something like it here. But we didn"t know how to begin," explained Nancy Sherman.
When Mr. Ames was ready to drive home, his two companions were ready also. Soon after they had left the Corners Natalie spoke of their desire to visit his brother"s to buy a pig.
Janet instantly added: "And I want some chickens, too. Must I have a hen set on eggs to raise them?"
"You kin do as you like about that! I kin sell you"se some young chicks cheap, and you kin raise "em. Then you kin buy a settin" hen and raise a brood that way, too. An" you"se kin keep some old fowl fer layin" aigs to use in the cookin"."
"Dear me, how much would all that cost me?" worried Janet.
"Wall, the aigs fer settin" ain"t more"n other kinds. Th" old hen"ll cost yuh about two dollars. Layin" hens cost about one-fifty each, an" a good rooster"ll cost near abouts two-fifty. The leetle chicks won"t cost no more"n twenty-five cents each."
"Oh, that is fine! I can do that, all right!" cried Janet delightedly.
"How much will the pig cost her?" asked Natalie.
"Not much. When my brother has such a big litter as this one is, I"ve known him to give away a few of the little porkers before they cost him anything fer feed."
Natalie and Janet exchanged looks! Plainly they said: "Oh, if only those pigs haven"t cost him anything for feed!"
"How about keepin" right on to my brother"s farm, now?" asked Mr. Ames, as they drew near the Green Hill house.
"That will be all right! We"ll just let Jimmy know," replied Natalie delightedly.
Farmer Ames was a kindly soul, but he had a keen sense of business as well. When he heard the two girls talk of buying a pig and chickens, he wished to close the bargain without delay for his brother and himself.
If they had time to think it over, they might change their minds, and he would lose a sale. So he proposed that they go right on then and conclude the business.
"How about paying for them, now, Mr. Ames?" asked Janet. "I have to write home for my money, and that will take a few days."
"Oh, don"t let that worry you any. Let my brother do the worryin" about his pay," laughed Mr. Ames jokingly.
Mrs. James consented to their going to the stock-farm then and there, but reminded the girls that the chicken-coops and pig-pens were not ready to receive any living creatures yet.
"Oh, we"ll fix all that when we get back," called Janet as they drove away.
Janet found the stock-farm so interesting that she almost forgot the real cause of their visit-the enlisting of Dorothy in the new Patrol.
The little pink pigs were so alluring in their antics that Janet decided to buy the three which had been separated from the mother and had been weaned.
The price asked seemed ridiculously cheap, compared to what butchers in the city charged for a pound of pork. So the three pigs were placed in a small box and the top was slatted down to keep the lively little things in bounds.
When this thrilling business matter had been concluded, Natalie told Dorothy about the new Patrol they wished to launch. They had no trouble whatever in gaining Dorothy"s eager consent to become a member, as she had long wanted to be a Scout. So the two girls started homeward about noontime, feeling that they had accomplished a wonderful day"s business in many ways.
"We"ll jest stop at my house to let you choose some hens an" chicks, an"
I"ll deliver "em in the mornin", when I drive by."
"Why can"t we take them along with us to-night?" asked Janet.
"Cuz it is hard work to ketch hens in the daytime whiles they are scratchin" around. But onct they go to roost at night, it is easy to get hold of "em without excitin" "em too much."
Natalie and Janet gazed at the various chickens they found about the place, and Natalie whispered to her companion when the farmer was not near by:
"Janet, choose the biggest ones you see, because Mr. Ames said they were all the same price. Some of these are awfully small while some are great heavy hens. You won"t be taking advantage of him, you know, if he said we could take any we liked."