I answered he came forward out of the passage and said that
he wanted to see me a moment. He led the way and I followed him into the
dark shadow of a tree. "I forgot to tell you not to say anything about
that," said he.

"About what?" I asked.

"About wallowin' him--the old General. He requested me not to mention
it, bein' so proud, and I told him that I wouldn't, and I don't know
what made me speak of it to-day, but I did."

"Oh, I won't mention it," I spoke up rather sharply, for I was
disappointed that he had not told me something of importance.

"All right. And I am much obleeged to you. He is one of the proudest men
in the world and he don't want anybody to suspect that any feller ever
wallowed him; but I want to tell you right now that I have wallowed a
good many of 'em in my time. Are you goin' to teach the school?"

"Yes, the arrangements have been made, and I am to begin work Monday
morning."

"Good enough. Well, we'll go on in now and eat a snack, for I reckon the
women folks have got it about ready."

We went early to bed. The house was but a story and a half high, and I
was to room with Alf, up close to the clap-board roof. I could not stand
straight, except in the middle of the apartment, but I was comfortable,
for I had a good bed, and there was plenty of air coming in through two
large windows, one on each side of the chimney at the end, toward the
south. While the dawn was drowsiest, just at the time when it seems that
one moment of dreamy dozing is worth a whole night of soundest sleep,
Alf got up to go afield to his plow, and as the joints of the stairway
were creaking under him as he went down I turned over for another nap,
thankful that after all the teaching of a school was not the hardest lot
in life. And I was deliciously dreaming when Guinea called me to
breakfast.

I spent the most of the day in my room, getting ready for my coming
work. Against the chimney I built a shelf and put my books upon it; I
turned a large box into a writing table, and of a barrel I fashioned an
easy-chair. My surroundings were rude, but I was pleased with them;
indeed, I had never found myself so pleasantly placed. And when Alf came
up at night he looked about him and with a smile remarked: "You must own
that lamp that we read about. Wish you would rub it again and get my
corn out of the grass." He looked tired and I wondered why he did not go
to bed, but he strode up and down the room, smoking his pipe. He wa