The Jack-Knife Man

eter was well on his way. Th

"Mama went away," said Buddy vaguel

ge," but Booge was not ready. He co

n," he said. "Was Uncle Peter yo

ow whether he was or not," said Booge. "Didn't you call Unc

ou said you'd make a

t did you call Uncle Peter bef

I didn't call him at all," he said as if Booge should

of stayed around

t, and my mama went away. But Uncle Peter and Buddy di

said Booge. "I just want to get this all straight fi

ied," sa

ge. "And what did you

went away, and Uncle Peter floated the boat, a

when she went away," said Booge. "What

Mama," s

"What did you say your name was when any

" said

hat?" ur

's Bu

t he had begun a more respectable life? Peter's wife might have been one of the low shanty-boat women, a shiftless mother and a worse than shiftless wife, running away from Peter only to bring back the boy when he became a burden, taking what money Peter had and going away again. Possibly Peter had never been married to the woman. In digging into Buddy's memories Booge hoped to find some thread that would give him a hold on Peter, however slight. Booge liked th

to the boat, she slept in the

said Buddy. "I want

e Peter comes back we'll have a nice surprise for him. We'll shout out at him, whe

on the wago

for the body, and he chopped out wheels as well as he could with the ax. He wished, by the time he had completed one wheel, that he had

he shanty-boat and he was deep in h

man, Uncle Bo

ming. He was well wrapped in overcoat and cap and he advanced steadily, without haste

aid the stranger. "

n, for all the bulk given him by his ulster and cap, had

and on his hip and one on his forehead, "and mebby I ain't. Let

ingratiatingly and

Derlingport. My duty here is, I may say, one that, if you are Peter Lane

g the Reverend Mr

at I am Peter Lane. And I don't know when I've had a

ident of the Child Rescue Society, an organization incorporated

"you go into that boat And

's tone was one he had never heard

this is no place for a tender little child. You may do your best for him but the influence o

nbuttoning

if you can't sing, and you hang 'round here for half an hour, I'll come out and sing it for you. Just now I've got to go in and sing my scales." He boosted

ttle baby, the

tle baby he can

ttle baby, the

le baby old Brig

xpected suddenness and Booge threw his arms around Mr. Briggles and lifted him from his feet. He drew him forward as if to hug him, and then, with a mighty out-thrust of his arms, cast him bodily off the deck. Mr. Briggles fell full on the newly constructed wagon, and there w

since the day you married me. And now I'll giv

changed his mind. The lake lay wide and smooth, with only a pile of snow here and there, and Booge grasped the damaged wagon and pushed it. Like a sled it slid along on its broken wheels, and Booge ran, gatheri