freezing-point.

Mr. Reginald Armytage volunteered to be grog-bos, an office which suited
his 'loafing' propensities, since his duties consisted in carrying about
a pail of water and a bottle of whisky to the knots of workmen. His
worthy father's position was almost as ornamental, for after one or
two feeble efforts with a handspike, he went to talk with Mr. Wynn the
elder--chiefly of a notable plan which he had for clearing a belt of
wood lying between his farmhouse and the lake, and which quite shut out
all view.

'You see that Scotch fellow had no taste about his place, eh? He just
thought of the vulgar utilitarian facts of the farm as it were; but for
the cultivation of the eye, the glorious influence of landscape, he had
no thought. Daisy Burn might as well be in the bottom of a pit; all one
can see is the sky and the walls of forest outside the clearing. Now
my plan is--Reginald, my boy,' as the grog-bos passed within hearing
distance, 'give me the cup. The day is sultry to an extreme, eh?' Having
refreshed his throat, he proceeded: 'My plan is, to set on fire that
strip of forest, eh? I never could abide the slow work of the axe. With
proper precautions, such as engineers use along the new rail-lines, the
burning might be kept within bounds, eh?'

Mr. Wynn, who knew nothing at all about the matter, courteously
assented.

'Just look at my father, the glorious old gentleman, how he stands like
a general overseeing a lot of pioneers,' said Robert to Arthur, as they
passed one another. 'Wonder what he and that drone are conversing about
so long.'

'I heard Armytage saying he would clear the belt of his forest on the
lake with fire,' was the reply. 'In which case we may look out.'

'Whew!' Robert whistled a long note. But his gang of teamsters wanted
him and his handspike, so he went on. Each yoke of oxen had four men
attached to it, for the purpose of rolling the logs on top of each
other, and picking the ground clear after them; which last means
gathering all chips and sticks into the pile likewise. An acre to each
team is considered a fair day's work. Robert was so busy as quite to
forget the captain and his alarming method of clearing, thenceforth.

By evening something had been done towards disentangling Cedar Creek.
The trees, which had lain about at every conceivable angle, in the
wildest disorder, were rolled into masses ready for burning, through six
acres of the clearing. The men had worthily earned