o learn how. He's a bright, active
little fellow."

That was all "according to contract;" but Dick did not come in for his
dinner until the rest had eaten theirs; and then he barely had time to
say to Dab Kinzer,--

"Did you ebber shell corn?"

"Course I have. Why?"

"'Cause dar's a bigger heap ob corn out in de barn dan you ebber see."

"Bigger'n Ham's?"

"Well, no, not so big as his'n, mebbe; but dar's more ob it. I's got it
to shell."

Dab went off with the other two, vaguely beginning to ask himself if
shelling corn came fairly into the proper meaning of the word "chores."

All that sort of thing was quickly forgotten, however; for there were a
dozen groups of boys scattered here and there over the broad expanse of
the "green," and Ford Foster at once exclaimed,--

"Boys, let's examine that crowd. It'll take all the afternoon to find
what they know."

Getting acquainted is apt to be a slow process in cases of that sort,
unless it is taken hold of with vigor; and Ford was the very fellow to
hurry it up. Before the afternoon was over, every boy on that green knew
who he was, and where he came from; and a good share of them had tried
their hands at "chaffing" him and his friends. Of these latter it may
safely be said that not a single one could afterwards remember that he
had seemed to himself to get the best of it.

"First day" at school is pretty safe to be a peace-day also; and none of
the wordy collisions went too far, although it was plain that the
new-comers had not yet attained any high degree of popularity.

After supper Dick Lee set off for Dr. Brandegee's, and his friends
attended him nearly to the gate.

They would have been glad to have had a report of his visit from him, on
his return; but he had his "chores" to do then, and any amount of
careful instruction concerning them to receive from Mrs. Myers and
Almira.

The other three were more thoroughly tired out than they had at all
expected, and were all quite ready to agree with Frank Harley,--

"We'd better get to bed, boys. I want to see if this is a good house to
sleep in."

"Sleep?" said Ford. "I could go to sleep in an omnibus."

Early to bed meant early to rise, necessarily; and they were all up and
dressed the next morning, when Dick Lee slipped in on them. Before they
had time to ask him a question, he exclaimed,--

"I say, Cap'n Dab, is you goin' to church dis mornin'?"

"Of course. We're all going."

"So I heerd Mrs. Mye