Free They Found a Cave by Nan Chauncy Page B

always let Nippy do just what he liked. Cherry privately resolved to speak to him alone sometime, and point out his responsibility.
    Her chance had come one milking time when Nigel strolled up and began to fondle Lily.
    â€˜Er, Nig,’ she had plunged in hastily, for Nigel had a way of looking past, as though you weren’t there, if he didn’t want to answer a question, ‘I wanted to ask you something. What about Nippy? We oughtn’t to let him—I mean what would Dad say? He wouldn’t like him to be dirty, would he?’
    â€˜No,’ he turned and smiled slowly at her, still fondling Lily’s ears, ‘but I’ll see he’s not that. ’
    â€˜Well,’ she said, gazing thoughtfully at the foam on the milk, ‘he gets out of everything by saying you told him he needn’t use a toothbrush. And I was so careful to bring his with us. And he ought to!’
    â€˜I told him savages certainly had the best teeth. Now he wants to try cleaning his with only twigs and things. He’ll soon find out that the old toothbrush saves a lot of time, I think. Anyhow, does it matter?’
    â€˜Yes, it does,’ she replied with some heat, recalling bitterly her own lengthy washing at the tarn before the sun rose, and the waste of all this good example. ‘Haven’t we all been brought up—you know what I mean, Nig. What about our Good Habits like Brushing Teeth and all that? (I say, pass Lily the pile of cherry-tree, will you? I’ve finished milking.)’
    He fetched the green boughs from the rocky shelf and held a piece for the little goat to nibble daintily from his hand. At last he said slowly, ‘I wouldn’t worry Nippy with all the old rules and regulations up here if I were you, Cherry. They belong to the old life, don’t they?’
    â€˜But Nig, what would Mother think if we let him grow up just a young savage?’
    â€˜Well, that’s what he is, isn’t he? Stealing food and living hidden in a cave? You see he doesn’t whine if we have to go short, and does his fair share of work without growling, and—oh, don’t be a nagging old woman! Let him be happy. We don’t know how long this is going to last.’
    Cherry nearly let the milk-pail fall in her surprise. ‘Why, Nig,’ she gasped, ‘I believe you want—I don’t believe you care how long we have to stay up here?’
    His face relaxed into the old grin. ‘Suits me,’ he answered, and made off before she could get in another question.
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    That incident was a week old now, yet she thought of it every time she went to wash. The matter of Nippy’s conduct still troubled her at times, though she left him rather pointedly to Nigel, and carried out her own routine just as before. First the chilly wash, then the throwing on of her clothes in the shelter of the wattle thicket, then teeth, and lastly the run back to the cave, aglow with virtue and returning warmth.
    Today the pink sugar clouds had turned into white swans, and the sky was deep blue as she looked about her. The kids, Rufty and Tufty, were chasing each other comically in and out of a cave, and a twist of smoke was stealing out, as though from a chimney. It gave her such a happy feeling that she jumped all the clumps of sword grass on the way back and shouted at the entrance, ‘Who’s next for the bathroom?’
    Breakfast was the easiest meal to prepare. The mornings were still chill enough to make porridge-stirring a most popular job, and for the same reason everyone was eager to toast their own ration of damper-bread at the fire. Cherry had usually spared cream for the porridge from the pans setting for butter, and honey was allowed instead of sugar. It became the fashion to carry this meal to the mouth of the cave and eat it, sitting on rolls of bedding, where the weather could be studied and plans laid for the day. Weather was becoming ever more important, and it