Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER THREE " Aw, I say, Jinks, you are just jollying us! You never seen nothing good to eat in that barrel! " There was disbelief in Tommy's voice, but longing in his dark eyes. As he spoke he shivered and then blew upon his red fingers to warm them. Jinks shivered, too, and his teeth chattered like castanets. He was used to such things, though, and now, when the wind cut through his rags like 3. whip, he merely hunched his skinny shoulders up closer under his red ears and clasped the dog he held beneath his jacket in a tighter grasp. Aside from the desire to protect the soft, brown creature he had rescued, the plump, little body was deliciously warm to the half-frozen, half-starved child. " I did see 'em in the barrel as sure as sure, Tommy! I heard 'em a-rolling in it when Mr. Flannigan put it out the door, and then when he went back inside I slipped up and looked in. And there they was, for I seen 'em and I smelt 'emtoo. And, boys, it was the plum deliciousest smell ever I smole in all my life." Jinks smacked his blue lips at memory of the described fragrance. Each boy's eye brightened. Every nose wriggled. They all came closer to Jinks. " How many do you guess there is in the barrel, Jinks?" demanded Sis. "Do you think there'll be as much as a whole half for each one of us?" Jinks nodded his mop of red hair vigorously. His generous supply of freckles drew up in a tight wad over his nose so broad was the delighted grin he bestowed upon the eager-faced throng around him. " Aw, Sis, you've done forgot to-morrow's Christmas! Who'd care for just half a apple on Christmas eve ? " he cried. " Sure, now, boys, there'll be nearer to two whole ones for each of us than there'll come to a measly half." Long sighs of delight greeted this announcement of the plenty w...