sir!

"An' she says: 'Oh, dear! those horrid boys!
They act so rough an' make sech a noise!'
Good gracious! ye wouldn't think 'at she
Could talk as loud as a bumble bee--
No, sirs

"Honest! Er lift a chip o' wood,
She acts so puny an' nice an' good!
'Boys are awful!' she says, 'till they're grown,
Er nelse they got to be yer own!'
Oh, gosh!"

This raised a storm of merriment, after which he recited the poem of
Burns, with keen appreciation of its quality. Samson repeatedly writes of
his gift for interpretation, especially of the comic, and now and then
lays particular stress on his power of mimicry.

John Cameron sang _The Sword of Bunker Hill_ and _Forty Years Ago, Tom_.
Samson played while the older people danced until midnight. Then, after
noisy farewells, men, women and children started in the moonlit road
toward the village. Ann Rutledge had Abe on one arm and John McNeil on
the other.

CHAPTER VI

WHICH DESCRIBES THE LONELY LIFE IN A PRAIRIE CABIN AND STIRRING ADVENTURE
ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD ABOUT THE TIME IT BEGAN OPERATIONS.

When Samson paid Mr. Gollaher, a "detector" came with the latter to look
at the money before it was accepted. There were many counterfeits and
bills good only at a certain discount of face value, going about those
days and the detector was in great request. Directly after moving in,
Samson dug a well and lined it with a hollow log. He bought tools and
another team and then he and Harry began their fall plowing. Day after
day for weeks they paced with their turning furrows until a hundred
acres, stretching half a mile to the west and well to the north of the
house, were black with them. Fever and ague descended upon the little
home in the early winter.

In a letter to her brother, dated January 4th, 1832, Sarah writes:

* * * * *

"We have been longing for news from home, but not a word has come from
you. It don't seem as if we could stand it unless we hear from you or
some of the folks once in a while. We are not dead just because we are a
thousand miles away. We want to hear from you. Please write and let us
know how father and mother are and all the news. Is Elizabeth Ranney
married yet, and how does the minister get along with his new wife? We
have all been sick with the fever and ague. It is a beautiful country and
the soil very rich, but there is some sickness. Samson and I were both
sick at the