I did not know what to say, so I said nothing.
We did not sit very long over our tea, for there was the cart to load up
with flowers for the morning's market, and soon after I was watching Ike
carefully packing in the great baskets along the bottom of the cart, and
then right over the shafts upon the broad projecting ladder, and also
upon that which was fitted in at the back.
"You keep account, Grant," said Old Brownsmith to me, and I entered the
number of baskets and their contents upon my slate, the old gentleman
going away and leaving me to transact this part of the business myself,
as I believe now, to give me confidence, for he carefully counted all
the baskets and checked them off when he came back.
Ike squinted at me fiercely several times as he helped to hoist in
several baskets, and for some time he did not speak, but at last he
stopped, took off his hat, drew a piece of cabbage leaf from the crown,
and carefully wiped his bald head with it, looking comically at me the
while.
"Green silk," he said gruffly, as he replaced the leaf. "Nature's own
growth. Never send 'em to the wash. Throw 'em away and use another."
I laughed at the idea, and this pleased Ike, who looked at me from top
to toe.
"You couldn't load a cart," he said at last.
"Couldn't I?" I replied. "Why not? It seems easy enough."
"Seems easy! of course it does, youngster. Seems easy to take a spade
and dig all day, but you try, and I'm sorry for your back and jyntes."
"But you've only got to put the baskets in the cart," I argued.
"Only got to put the baskets in the cart!" grumbled Ike. "Hark at him!"
"That's what you've been doing," I continued.
"What I've been doing!" he said. "I'm sorry for the poor horse if you
had the loading up. A cart ain't a wagon."
"Well, I know that," I said, "a wagon has four wheels, and a cart two."
"Send I may live," cried Ike. "Why, he is a clever boy. He knows a
cart's got two wheels and a wagon four."
He said this in a low serious voice, as if talking to himself, and
admiring my wisdom; but of course I could see that it was his way of
laughing at me, and I hastened to add: "Oh, you know what I mean!"
"Yes, I know what you mean, but you don't know what I mean, and if
you're so offle clever you'd best teach me, for I can't teach you."
"But I want you to teach me," I cried. "I've come here to learn. What
is there in particular in loading a cart?"