Chapter 7

His face went from red to purple, and all veined, like raw meat. It was awful to see. Then he reached for the horsewhip and said— “I’ll give you the best hiding ever you had, my boy!” He came across the kitchen towards Gideon. But suddenly Gideon ran at him and bunted into him, and taking him by surprise he knocked him clean over. Now whether it was that Father had eaten a very hearty supper, after a big day’s work with the bees, or whether it was him being in such a rage, and then the surprise of the fall, we neve…