ches, and all the people come from far and near
to hear 'em spell--hundreds of 'em. Link--he's the head speller--he
could spell down anybody. It is the greatest school in all these here
new parts. You will have a right good time down there; they'll treat ye
right well."

"Good, my boy; you speak kindly. I shall have a good time, if the people
have ears."

"Ears! They've all got ears--just like other folks. You didn't think
that they didn't have any ears, did ye?"

"I mean ears for the truth. I must travel on. I am glad that I met you,
my lad. Tell your father and mother that old Jasper the Parable has gone
by, and that he has a message for them in his heart. God bless you, my
boy--God bless you! You are a little rude in your speech, but you mean
well."

The man went on, following the trail along the great trees of Pigeon
Creek, and the boy stood looking after him. The water rippled under the
trees, and afar lay the open prairie, like a great sun sea. The air was
cool, but the light of spring was in it, and the blue-birds fluted
blithely among the budding trees.

As he passed along amid these new scenes, a singular figure appeared in
the way. It was a woman in a linsey-woolsey dress, corn sun-bonnet, and
a huge cane. She looked at the Tunker suspiciously, yet seemed to retard
her steps that he might overtake her.

"My good woman," said the latter, coming up to her, "I am not sure of my
way."

"Well, I am."

"I wish to go to the Pigeon Creek--settlement--"

"Then you ought to have kept the way when you had it."

"But, my good woman, I am a stranger in these parts. A boy has directed
me, but I feel uncertain. What do you do when you lose your way?"

"I don't lose it."

"But if you were--"

"I'd just turn to the right, and keep right straight ahead till I found
it."

"True, true; but this is a new country to me. I am one of the Brethren."

"Ye be, be ye? I thought you were one of them land agents. One of the
Brethren. I'm proper glad. Who were you lookin' for?"

"Crawford's school."

"The college? Am you're goin' there? I go over there sometimes to see
him wallop the boys. We must all have discipline in life, you know, and
it is best to begin with the young. Crawford does. They say that
Crawford teaches clear to the rule of three, whatever that may be. One
added to one is more than one, according to the Scriptur'; now isn't it?
One added to one is almost three. Is that what they call high
mathematics