or wood. The maternal was very strong in their
stout little hearts.

One flaxen-haired miss consented to ride before me after my solemnly
assuring her that horseback travel would not make her dollie sick. She
shyly confessed her great joy in attending "rollin's." Her folks, she
said, had not been invited to the last "rollin'," although they lived
within fifteen miles of it; and her daddy and mammy had been greatly
incensed.

But this, fortunately, was a bee where no one waited to be invited, each
settler, living far or near, having an equal equity in the work. Long
before we reached the scene of activities we heard the loud voices of the
men, the hilarious cries of young folks and the barking of several dogs.
My little companion twisted nervously, her blue eyes wide with excitement.
Then she was sliding from the horse and with her doll clutched to her
side, was scampering ahead with the others.

Then we grown-ups reached the edge of the clearing. Hacker had reported
five cabins. Now there were seven, and if the people continued to arrive
there must soon be twice that number. At the first of it the overflow
would take up quarters among those already housed, or in the fort when it
was finished.

Ordinarily a settler girdled his trees and chopped them down when they
were dead, and then burned them into long logs. Not until the trees were
down and burned into suitable lengths were invitations to the rolling sent
out. As this was an emergency rolling the usual custom could not be
followed.

Some of the dead trees were being burned into sections with small fires
built on top and pressed against the wood by butt-ends of logs we called
nigger-heads. Boys and girls were feeding small fuel to these fires.
Charred logs left over from former rollings were being yanked out and
built into the walls of the fort. As not enough seasoned timber was
available for such a large structure green logs were being utilized.

The settlers behind me handed their two guns, clubs and other belongings
over to the small boys, and with a nod and a word of greeting joined the
workers. The women and girls looked after the cattle. Those of the women
who were not working among the logs were busy in the cabins cooking large
quantities of food, for we ate marvelously in those old days.

As in peaceful times, when a happy home was to evolve from the "rollin',"
the usual pot-pie, composed of boiled grouse, pigeon and venison, and
always with dumplings,