They quickly ran in for their outer shirts and coats, however,
and then trooped in to the end of the cook shed where the meals
were served. Tom turned away to look over his horses and see
that they were all ready for the day's work. Rafe put up the
roan ponies in a couple of empty stalls and gave them a feed of
oats.
Uncle Henry took Nan by the hand, and, really she felt as though
she needed some support, she was so stiff from the cold, and led
her into the warm room where the men were gathering for the
hearty meal the cook and his helper had prepared.
The men were boisterous in their greeting of Uncle Henry, until
they saw Nan. Than, some bashfully, some because of natural
refinement, lowered their voices and were more careful how they
spoke before the girl.
But she heard something that troubled her greatly. An old,
grizzled man in a corner of the fireplace where the brisk flames
leaped high among the logs, and who seemed to have already eaten
his breakfast and was busily stoning an axe blade, looked up as
Nan and her uncle approached, saying:
"Seen Ged Raffer lately, Hen?"
"I saw him at the Forks the other day, Toby," Mr. Sherwood
replied.
"Yaas. I heard about that," said the old man drawlingly.
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