Stuyvesant Part 14

Phonny was very indiscreet, indeed, in asking the question in that form, for it showed at once that whatever might be the subject of the discussion, he was not himself the person represented by B. It was now no longer possible for Wallace to look at the question purely in its abstract character.

"Now I know," said Wallace, "which is B., and of course you may as well tell me all about it."

Phonny looked at Stuyvesant with an expression of surprise and concern upon his countenance.

"No matter," said Stuyvesant, "let us tell him the whole story."

Phonny accordingly explained to Wallace, that the contract related to the care of the hen-house and the hens,--that it was first offered to Stuyvesant, that Stuyvesant did not accept it for an hour or two, and that in the course of that time he, Phonny, had himself applied for it. He concluded by asking Wallace if he did not think that an hour was a reasonable time.

"The question," said Wallace, "how much it is necessary to allow for a reasonable time, depends upon the nature of the subject that the offer relates to. If two persons were writing at a table, and one of them were to offer the other six wafers in exchange for a steel pen, five minutes, or even one minute, might be a reasonable time to allow him for decision. On the other hand, in buying a house, two or three days would not be more than would be reasonable. Now, I think in such a case as this, any person who should receive such an offer as Beechnut made, ought to have time enough to consider the whole subject fairly.

He would wish to see the hen-house, to examine its condition, to consider how long it would take him to put it in order, and how much trouble the care of the hens would make him afterward. He would also want to know how many eggs he was likely to receive, and to consider whether these would be return enough for all his trouble. Now, it does not seem to me, that one hour, coming too just when Stuyvesant was called away to dinner, could be considered a reasonable time. He ought to have a fair opportunity when the offer is once made to him, to consider it and decide understandingly, whether he would accept it or not."

"Well," said Phonny, with a sigh, "I suppose I must give it up."

So he and Stuyvesant walked back to the shop together.

CHAPTER VII.

THE WORK SHOP.

When the boys entered the shop door, the first thing for Phonny to do, was to look and see if his trap was safe. It _was_ safe. It remained standing upon the horse-block where he had placed it.

"And now," said Phonny, "the question is, where I am to find a box for a cage. I must go and look about."

"And I must go and look at my hen-house," said Stuyvesant.

Phonny proposed that Stuyvesant should go with him to find a box, and then help him make a cage, and after that, he would go, he said, and help Stuyvesant about the repairs of the hen-house.

"I must go and _look_ at the hen-house first," said Stuyvesant. "I can do that, while you are finding the box, and then I will help you."

"Well," said Phonny. "But--on the whole, I will go with you to look at it, and then you can go with me to find the box."

So the boys walked along toward the hen-house together.

When they came to the place, they went in, and Stuyvesant proceeded to examine the premises very thoroughly. There were two doors of admission. One was a large one, for men and boys to go in at. The other was a very small one, a square hole in fact, rather than a door, and was intended for the hens.

This small opening had once been fitted with a sort of lid, which was attached by leather hinges on its upper edge to a wooden bar or cleat nailed to the side of the house, just over the square hole. This lid formed, of course, a sort of door, opening outward and upward. When up, it could be fastened in that position, by means of a wooden b.u.t.ton. The b.u.t.ton and the bar of wood remained in its place, but the door was gone.

"Where is the door?" asked Stuyvesant, after he had examined all this very carefully.

"Why, I took it off," said Phonny, "to make a little stool of. I wanted a square board just about that size."

"And did you make a stool?" asked Stuyvesant.

"No," said Phonny. "I found that I could not bore the holes for the legs. I _tried_ to bore a hole, but I split the board."

"Then I must find another piece of board, somewhere," said Stuyvesant.

Stuyvesant next turned his attention to the great door. He swung it to and fro, to see if the hinges were in order. They were. Next he shut it, but he found there was nothing to keep it shut.

"There used to be a b.u.t.ton," said Phonny.

"Where is the b.u.t.ton now?" asked Stuyvesant.

"I don't know," said he. "Let me see;--it must be about here somewhere."

So saying, Phonny began to look around upon the ground. There was some litter upon the ground, formed of sticks, straws, &c., and Phonny began to poke this litter about with his foot.

"I saw it lying down here somewhere, once," said he, "but I can't find it now."

"Why didn't you pick it up and put it away in some safe place?" said Stuyvesant, "or get it put on?"

"Why, I don't know," said Phonny. "You see we don't want to shut up the hens much in the summer."

"No," replied Stuyvesant; "but it is a great deal better to have the doors all in order."

"Why is it better?" asked Phonny.

"It is more satisfactory," said Stuyvesant.

"Satisfactory!" repeated Phonny. "Hoh!"

Stuyvesant went into the hen-house. Phonny followed him in.

It was a small room, with a loft upon one side of it. The floor was covered with sticks, straw and litter. In one corner was a barrel, three quarters filled with hay. There were two or three bars overhead for the hens to roost upon. Stuyvesant looked around upon all these objects for a few minutes in silence, and then pointing up to the loft, he asked,

"What is up there?"

"That is the loft," replied Phonny. "There is nothing up there."

"How do you get up to see?" asked Stuyvesant.

"I can't get up, except when Beechnut is here to boost me," said Phonny.

"I mean to make a ladder," said Stuyvesant.

"Hoh!" said Phonny, "you can't make a ladder."

"I will try, at any rate," said Stuyvesant. Then after a short pause and a little more looking around, he added,

"Well, I am ready now to go and help you find your box. I see what I have got to do here."

"What is it?" asked Phonny.

"I have got a small door to make, and a b.u.t.ton for the large door, and a ladder to get up to the loft. Then I have got to clear the hen-house all out, and put it in order. What is in this barrel?"