s, Lettis, I can see that--so cautious
and full of tricks, and all that."

The young man laughed and then sobered down. "Of course, I know
the whole thing would look insane to most people," he said
sturdily, "but I've been in business long enough to see sharp
gentlemen come to grief in spite of their funny work. I don't
believe a man'll come to any more harm by believing people mean
well by him than he would by working on the other tack."

"Good boy!" said Red, slapping him on the back. "You stick to that
and you'll get a satisfaction out of it that money couldn't buy
you. Another thing, you'd never get a cent out of me in this world
it you were one of these smooth young men. My eye teeth are cut,
son, for all I may seem easy. The man that does me a trick has a
chance for bad luck, and you can bet on that."

"Lord! I believe you!" replied Lettis, taking in the dimensions of
his new friend. "Well, good-bye for the present, Mr.
Saunders--thank you for the dinner and still more for the heart you
have put into me."

At six o'clock the fence was not quite finished.

"If you'll stay with me until the thing's done, I'll stand another
dollar all around," said Red. "I don't want it to stare me in the
face to-morrow."

The eldest spoke up. "We'll stay with you, Mr. Saunders, but we
don't want any money for it, do we, fellers?"

"No," they replied in chorus, well meaning what they said.

"Why, you're perfectly welcome to the cash!" said Red.

"And you're welcome to the work," retorted the boy. "We're paid
plenty as it is."

"If that's the way you look at it, I'm much obliged to you," said
Red, who would not have discouraged such a feeling for anything.
He said to himself, "This don't seem much like the kind of people
I've heard inhabited these parts. Those boys are all right.
Reckon it you use people decent they'll play up to your lead, no
matter what country it is."

At seven thirty the fence was done, gorgeous in a coat of fresh red
paint, and the hands departed, each with a slice of Miss Mattie's
chocolate cake, a thing to make the heathen gods feel contemptuous
of ambrosia.

They went straight to the blacksmith's shop, where they were
anxiously expected.

"Good Lord!" he said a little later, "it you fellers will talk one
at a time, p'r'aps I can make out what's happened. Now, Sammy,
sp'ose you do the speaking?"

Whereupon Sammy faithfully chronicled the events of the day. The
boys had behaved