The Sword in the Tree (8 page)

She took a step after him, but Cook's voice called her back. “A-
man
-da!”

She closed the door. She went down the long, cold hall and into the kitchen.

Cook was at the table, beating eggs. Her face was red. Her cap was over one eye.

“Who gave you leave to stand in the door and talk all day?” she said. “Who was that man?”

Ellie the maid came out of the pantry. “Oh, Amanda, was it your father?”

The door to the back stairs opened. A small boy put his head out. “Was it Father?” he asked.

“Jemmy!” cried Amanda. “You know you're not to come in here. No, it wasn't Father.”

His head disappeared, and the door closed.

Amanda told Cook and Ellie, “It was a sailor man back from Virginia. He saw my father there. He
talked
to him. Father is well—and he's built a house— and he thinks of us—”

Cook gave a snort. “He does, does he? He thinks of you so much that he sails off and leaves you for three whole years.”

“Oh, that's cruel!” said Ellie.

“Hold your tongue, miss,” said Cook, “and Amanda, you get back to your work.”

She went off into the pantry.

As soon as Cook was gone, Amanda opened the door to the back stairs. The small boy was sitting on the steps. A smaller girl sat beside him.

“It wasn't Father. It was a sailor man,” Amanda said. “But he
saw
Father. Just think of that. I'll tell you about it tonight.”

“Will it be a story?” asked the boy.

“It will be
like
a story,” said Amanda, and she shut the door.

CLYDE ROBERT BULLA
is one of America's best-known writers for young people. The broad scope of his interests led him to write more than fifty distinguished books on a variety of subjects, including travel, history, science, and music. He received a number of awards for his contributions to the field of children's books, including, for
Shoeshine Girl
, awards in three states—Oklahoma, Arkansas, and South Carolina—the winners of which were voted upon by school children.

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By Clyde Robert Bulla

THE BEAST OF LOR
•
BENITO

CONQUISTA! (WITH MICHAEL ROBERT SYSON)

DEXTER
•
THE DONKEY CART

DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI
•
EAGLE FEATHER

THE GHOST OF WINDY HILL
•
GHOST TOWN TREASURE

INDIAN HILL
•
JOHN BILLINGTON, FRIEND OF SQUANTO

JOHNNY HONG OF CHINATOWN
•
LAST LOOK
•
MARCO MOONLIGHT

THE MOON SINGER
•
MY FRIEND THE MONSTER

OLD CHARLIE
•
OPEN THE DOOR AND SEE ALL THE PEOPLE

PIRATE'S PROMISE
•
POCAHONTAS AND THE STRANGERS

RIDING THE PONY EXPRESS
•
THE SECRET VALLEY

SHOESHINE GIRL
•
SONG OF ST. FRANCIS

SQUANTO, FRIEND OF THE PILGRIMS
•
STAR OF WILD HORSE CANYON

THE SUGAR PEAR TREE
•
SURPRISE FOR A COWBOY

THE SWORD IN THE TREE
•
VIKING ADVENTURE

WHITE BIRD
•
WHITE SAILS TO CHINA
•
THE WISH AT THE TOP

A LION TO GUARD US

T
HE SWORD IN THE TREE
. Copyright © 1956 by Clyde Robert Bulla. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

22 23 24 25

ISBN 0-690-79908-X

ISBN 0-690-79909-8 (lib. bdg.)

EPub Edition May 2013 ISBN 9780062290656

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