ery
other settler's neighbor, even though there's miles betwixt their
clearin's. All hands helpin' so makes light work of raisin' cabins or
barns, sowin', reapin', or clearin'. I--I declare I feel as excited as
a boy. But you don't seem to. You're gettin' a great lad now, Gaspar,
an' one these days I'll be thinkin' of payin' you some wages. If so be
I can afford it, an'----"

"And Mercy will let you!"

"Hi, diddle diddle! What's struck you crosswise, sonny?"

"I'm tired of working so hard for other people. I want a chance to do
something for myself. I'm not ungrateful; don't think it. But see. I
am already taller than you and I can do as much work in a day. Where
is the justice, then, of my labor going for naught?"

"Why, Gaspar. Why, why, why!" exclaimed the pioneer, too astonished to
say more.

Gaspar went on with his task of clearing the barn floor and arranging
tying places for the visitors' teams; but his dark face was clouded
and anxious, showing little of the anticipation which Abel's did.

"I'm going to ask you, Father Abel, to let me try for a job somewhere
else; that is, if you can't really pay me anything, as your wife
declares. Then, by and by, when I can earn enough to get ahead a
little, I'd pay you back for all you've spent on us three."

Abel's face had fallen, and he now looked as if he might be expecting
some dire disaster rather than a frolic. But it brightened presently.

"Yes, Gaspar; I know you're big, and well-growed. But you're young
yet--dreadful young----"

"I'm near fifteen."

"Well, you won't be out your time till you're twenty-one."

"What 'time'?" asked the lad, angrily, though he knew the answer.

"Hmm. Of course, there wasn't no regular papers drawed, but it was
understood; it was always understood between ma and me that if we took
you all in, and did for you while you was growin' up, your service
belonged to us. Same's if you'd been bound by the authorities."

"Get over there, Dobbin!"

"Pshaw! You must be real tried in your mind to hit a four-footed
creatur' like that. I hain't never noticed that you was short-spoke
with the stock--not before this morning. I wish you wouldn't get out
of sorts to-day, boy! I--well, there's things afoot 'at I think you'd
like to take a share in. There. That'll do. Now, just turn another
edge on them reapin' knives, an' see that there's plenty o' water in
the troughs, an' feed them fattin' pigs in the pen, an'--Shucks! He's
off already. I