CHAPTER XII GOOD TIMES

ndomabouttheshadyroadsandlanes,pausingwhenandwheretheyliked.Wonderfuldiscoveriesweremade,prettyplaceswerenamed,plansweredrawn,andallsortsofmerryadventuresbefellthepilgrims. Eachdaytheycampedinanewspot,andwhileLitanibbledthefreshgrassatherease,MissCeliasketchedunderthebigumbrella,Thornyreadorloungedorsleptonhisrubberblanket,andBenmadehimselfgenerallyuseful.Unloading,fillingtheartist'swater-bottle,pilingtheinvalid'scushions,settingoutthelunch,runningtoandfroforaBowerorabutterfly,climbingatreetoreporttheview,reading,chatting,orfrolickingwithSancho,—anysortofdutywasinBen'sline,andhedidthemallwell,foranout-of-doorlifewasnaturaltohimandhelikedit. "Ben,Iwantanamanuensis,"saidThorny,droppingbookandpencilonedayafterabriefintervalofsilence,brokenonlybythewhisperoftheyoungleavesoverheadandthesoftbabbleofthebrookcloseby. "Awhat?"askedBen,pushingbackhishatwithsuchanairofamazementthatThornyratherloftilyinquired: "Don'tyouknowwhatanamanuensisis?" "Well,nonotunlessit'ssomerelationtoananaconda.Shouldn'tthinkyou'dwantoneofthem,anyway." Thornyrolledoverwithahootofderision,andhissister,whosatcloseby,sketchinganoldgate,lookeduptoseewhatwasgoingon. "Well,youneedn'tlaughatafeller.Youdidn'tknowwhatawombatwaswhenIaskedyou,andIdidn'troar,"saidBen,givinghishataslap,asnothingelsewashandy. "Theideaofwantingananacondatickledmeso,Icouldn'thelpit.Idaresayyou'dhavegotmeoneifIhadaskedforit,youaresuchanobligingchap." "OfcourseIwouldifIcould.Shouldn'tbesurprisedifyoudidsomeday,youwantsuchfunnythings,"answeredBen,appeasedbythecompliment. "I'lltrytheamanuensisfirst.It'sonlysomeonetowriteformeIgetsotireddoingitwithoutatable.Youwritewellenough,anditwillbegoodforyoutoknowsomethingaboutbotany.Iintendtoteachyou,Ben,"saidThorny,asifconferringagreatfavor. "Itlooksprettyhard,"mutteredBen,withadolefulGlanceatthebooklaidopenuponastrewoftornleavesandflowers. "No,itisn'tit'sregularlyjollyandyou'dbenoendofahelpifyouonlyknewalittle.Now,supposeIsay,'Bringmea"ranunculusbulbosus,"'howwouldyouknowwhatIwanted?"demandedThorny,wavinghismicroscopewithalearnedair. "Shouldn't." "TherearequantitiesofthemallroundusandIwanttoanalyzeone.Seeifyoucan'tguess." Benstaredvaguelyfromearthtosky,andwasabouttogiveitup,whenabuttercupfellathisfeet,andhecaughtsightofMissCeliasmilingathimfrombehindherbrother,whodidnotseetheflower. "S'poseyoumeanthis?Idon'tcall'emrhinocerusbulburses,soIwasn'tsure."And,takingthehintasquicklyasitwasgiven,Benpresentedthebuttercupasifheknewallaboutit. "Youguessedthatremarkablywell.Nowbringmea'leontodontaraxacum,'"saidThorny,charmedwiththequicknessofhispupil,andgladtodisplayhislearning. AgainBengazed,butthefieldwasfullofearlyflowersand,ifalongpencilhadnotpointedtoadandelioncloseby,hewouldhavebeenlost. "Hereyouare,sir,"heansweredwithachuckleandThornytookhisturnatbeingastonishednow. "Howthedickensdidyouknowthat?" "Tryitagain,andmaybeyou'llfindout,"laughedBen. Divinghap-hazardintohisbook,Thornydemandeda"trifoliumpratense." Thecleverpencilpointed,andBenbroughtaredclover,mightilyenjoyingthejoke,andthinkingthattheirkindofbotanywasn'tbadfun. "Lookhere,nofooling!"andThornysatuptoinvestigatethematter,soquicklythathissisterhadnottimetosoberdown."Ah,I'vecaughtyou!Notfairtotell,Celia.Now,Ben,you'vegottolearnallaboutthisbuttercup,topayforcheating." "Werrygood,sirbringonyourrhinoceriouses,"answeredBen,whocouldn'thelpimitatinghisoldfriendtheclownwhenhefeltparticularlyjolly. "SitthereandwritewhatItellyou,"orderedThorny,withalltheseverityofastrictschoolmaster.Perchinghimselfonthemossystump,Benobedientlyflounderedthroughthefollowinganalysis,withconstanthelpinthespelling,andmuchprivatewonderwhatwouldcomeofit:— "Phaenogamous.Exogenous.Angiosperm.Polyp