ere was a "whole raft of young 'uns" younger than he was. They made Hiram very w

f they were keenly interested in the affairs of other people, it was because they had few book

nd Henry agreed to show the visitor

on't mind my taking time now. Later-Whew! I tell you, we hafter just git up an' dust

ries of the Atterson far

nry, eagerly. "And say

se; who

an and kettle. Say! We'll start early-'fore anybody's a-stir-and I be

ds good to me!" cried H

hirp, the two set forth from the Pollock place, crossed the wet fields, and the road, and set off down the slope of a long hil

rous with new-springing herbs. As Hiram and Henry descended the aisle of the pinewood, the tr

been here at the back end of old Jeptha

body gets down this way

cheek, seeking with its cold fingers to stay his progress. It was an enchanted for

ty-year-old timber they were walking through had been tilled-after a fashion. Bu

ealed to Hiram's observing eye. Where corn had grown once, it should grow again; and the pine timber would

r of the timber changed, as well. Instead of the stately pines, this more abrupt decli

d this hill and came suddenly, through a fringe o

ut now young pines, quick-springing and lush, dotted the five or s

pussywillows grew, with the green mist of young leaves upon them, and here and there a g

a smile came to his lips as he crossed, with springy steps, the o

was a narrow, marshy strip into which a few stones had been cast, and o

ptious place?" demanded

wn flood. It was some thirty feet broad and with the melting of the snows in the mou

r. An ancient wild grape vine, its butt four inches through and its roots fairly in the water, had a

sam leaves and twigs performed an endless

a bronze body-a streak of light along the surface of the pool-and two widenin

ed Henry, but u

. He almost held his own breath for the moment, as they mov

r is my meat,"

d Hiram, and set abou

fy, skirmished for dry wood, lit his fire, filled the kettle from the riv

ocket, cut a springy pole back on the hillside, rigged his line and hook,

The struggling worm sank slowly; the water wrinkled about the line; but there followed no tug at the h

eeds tickling. He is being fed too well and turns up his nose a

shore again and shook

en drowning a worm. But I'll show that old fellow sulking down below ther

llside. With the toe of his boot he kicked a patch of bark from the log, and thereby lay bare the wavering trail of a busy g

en touched the surface of the pool, the fish leape

k and the gasping spotted beauty, a pound and a quarter, or m

Henry, excitedly. "

ught a couple more. Hiram brought forth, too, the coffee, salt and p

ork thin, laid some slices in the pan and set that upon

the pan with three slices of pork upon each, and sat back upon his haunches beside Hen

ng the coffee from the kettle itself, when it was

"This beats maw's soda b

e scrub-grown meadow. The lay of the land pleased him. The ric

llside had been washing down upon the bottom,

however over-cropped the remainder of Uncle Jeptha's la

't take long. There's a heavy sod and it would have to be ploughed deeply. Then a crop of

, slapping his knee, "what wou

from the house-and then, the river might flood it over. I'

and Hiram leaped up, inspired by

eclare," he said, "this five or six acres alone mig