I could not do as he did; I had not muscle enough in my arms, but I
threw my legs round the tottering ladder, and slid down, turned it back
to its old place, went up quickly, and again picked away.
For the next quarter of an hour all was very quiet, and I had just
finished getting all I could when Ike came along.
I started guiltily, for I thought it was Old Brownsmith, but the voice
reassured me, and I felt reprieved for the moment as Ike said: "Want the ladder moved?"
I carried my basket down, and emptied it while Ike changed the position
of the ladder.
"There you are," he said. "There's plenty for you up yonder. Come,
you're getting on. Yes; and clean picked, too," he continued, giving
the basket a shake. "Now you, Shock, come down, and I'll move yourn."
The boy got down sullenly, and turned his back to me while the ladder
was moved, so that this time we were working at different trees, but
nearly facing each other.
Ike gave me a nod, and went off again to his work; and as I turned my
head to gaze after him, whack came a little apple, and struck me on
the side of the ear.
I was so much annoyed that I picked a big one out of my basket and threw
it at Shock with all my might, disturbing my balance so that I had to
hold on tightly with one hand.
My shot did not go anywhere near the boy, but he fell from the ladder,
hanging by one leg in a horrible way, his head down, and his hands
feeling about and stretching here and there, as if to get hold of
something to draw him up. He swung about and uttered a low animal-like
moan of distress that horrified me, and sliding down my ladder,
unwilling to call for aid, I ran to help him myself.
He was squinting frightfully, and lay back head downwards, and arms
outstretched on the ladder as I began to ascend. His face was flushed,
his mouth open, and his tongue out. In fact, he looked as if he were
being strangled by his position, and, trembling with eagerness, I went
up four rounds, when smack! crack! I received a blow on each ear
that sent me down.
When I recovered myself, my cheeks tingling, and my heart throbbing with
wrath, Shock had thrown himself up again, and, with his back to me, was
picking away at the apples as if nothing had been wrong.
"You see if I trust you again, my fine fellow," I cried in a rage; and,
picking up a lot of clods, I began to pelt him as hard as I could,
missing him half the time, but giving him several sharp blows on the
back and head.