He sat down
upon a little knob of earth, took off his hat, drew a red handkerchief from
the inside thereof, and slowly wiped his perspiring brow.
He looked up at the sky, which was so brightly blue that it made his eyes
blink. He sought optical relief in the dark green of the woods. Then, in
steadying his pail of cherries between his legs, he turned his glance to
the ground in front of him.
His attention was caught by a lump of earth that sparkled at points In the
sun's rays, a mere clod composed of clay and mica, lying In the dry bed of
a bygone streamlet. Because it glittered he picked it up and examined it.
After a time he bethought him that he was yet two and a half miles from
town and very hungry. He arose, somewhat stiff, and put the shining clod in
his coat-tail pocket. On his way back to the road he noticed other little
earth lumps that shone. He resumed his walk townward, his knees shaking
regularly at every step, as was their wont.
At three o'clock in the afternoon he had reached home, sold his cherries,
and dined on dried beef and bread in his little unpainted wooden house on
the edge of the creek at the back of the town.
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