o boys,
inseparable as the Siamese twins, who gathered mussel-shells in the
river marge, played hide-and-seek in the hollow sycamores, and led a
happy life in the shadow of just such hills as those among which the
events of this story took place. And all the more that the generous boy
who was my playmate then is the generous man who has relieved me of many
burdens while I wrote this story, do I feel impelled to dedicate it to
GEORGE CARY EGGLESTON, a manly man and a brotherly brother.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.--In Love with a Dutchman.
CHAPTER II.--An Explosion.
CHAPTER III.--A Farewell.
CHAPTER IV.--A Counter-Irritant.
CHAPTER V.--At the Castle.
CHAPTER VI.--The Backwoods Philosopher.
CHAPTER VII.--Within and Without.
CHAPTER VIII.--Figgers won't Lie.
CHAPTER IX.--The New Singing-Master.
CHAPTER X.--An Offer of Help.
CHAPTER XI.--The Coon-dog Argument.
CHAPTER XII.--Two Mistakes.
CHAPTER XIII.--The Spider Spins.
CHAPTER XIV.--The Spider's Web.
CHAPTER XV.--The Web Broken.
CHAPTER XVI.--Jonas Expounds the Subject.
CHAPTER XVII.--The Wrong Pew.
CHAPTER XVIII.--The Encounter.
CHAPTER XIX.--The Mother.
CHAPTER XX.--The Steam-Doctor.
CHAPTER XXI.--The Hawk in a New Part.
CHAPTER XXII.--Jonas Expresses his Opinion on Dutchmen.
CHAPTER XXIII.--Somethin' Ludikerous.
CHAPTER XXIV.--The Giant Great-heart.
CHAPTER XXV.--A Chapter of Betweens.
CHAPTER XXVI.--A Nice Little Game.
CHAPTER XXVII.--The Result of an Evening with Gentlemen.
CHAPTER XXVIII.--Waking up an Ugly Customer.
CHAPTER XXIX.--August and Norman.
CHAPTER XXX.--Aground.
CHAPTER XXXI.--Cynthy Ann's Sacrifice.
CHAPTER XXXII.--Julia's Enterprise.
CHAPTER XXXIII.--The Secret Stairway.
CHAPTER XXXIV.--The Interview.
CHAPTER XXXV.--Getting Ready for the End.
CHAPTER XXXVI.--The Sin of Sanctimony.
CHAPTER XXXVII.--The Deluge.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.--Scaring a Hawk.
CHAPTER XXXIX.--Jonas takes an Appeal.
CHAPTER XL.--Selling out.
CHAPTER XLI.--The Last Day and What Happened in it.
CHAPTER XLII.--For Ever and Ever.
CHAPTER XLIII.--The Midnight Alarm.
CHAPTER XLIV.--Squaring Accounts.
CHAPTER XLV.--New Plans.
CHAPTER XLVI.--The Shiveree.

* * * * *

ILLUSTRATIONS.

BY FRANK BEARD

The Backwoods Philosopher
Taking an Observation
A Talk with a Plowman
A little rustle br