ree acres or thereabouts
of the land running in a straight line behind the garden. There is not
a tree on it, and it is all good feeding-ground. What I intend to do is
to enclose it with the spruce-fir posts and rails that we are about to
cut down, and then set a hedge upon a low bank which I shall raise all
round inside the rails. I know where there are thousands of seedling
thorns, which I shall take up in the winter, or early in the spring, to
put in, as the bank will be ready for them by that time."

"Well, that's all very good; but I fear it will be a long while before
you have such a quantity of land dug up."

"Yes, of course it will; but, Edward, I have plenty of manure to spare,
and I shall put it all over this land, and then it will become a rich
pasture, and also an earlier pasture than what we can get from the
forest, and will be very handy to turn the cows and the calves upon; or
even Billy, if we want him in a hurry."

"All that is very true," replied Edward, "so that it will be useful, at
all events, if you do not dig it up."

"Indeed it will," replied Humphrey; "I only wish it were six acres
instead of three."

"I can't say I do," replied Edward, laughing; "you are too grand in your
ideas; only think what a quantity of spruces we shall have to cut down
on it, to post and rail what you just propose. Let it be three acres
first, Humphrey; and when they are enclosed, you may begin to talk of
three more."

"Well, perhaps you are right, Edward," said Humphrey.

"Why, here's Pablo coming after us: he's not coming to work, I presume,
but to amuse himself by looking on."

"I don't think he is strong enough to do much hard work, Humphrey,
although he appears very ingenious."

"No, I agree with you; and if he is to work, depend upon it it must not
be by having work set out for him; he would take a disgust to it
directly. I have another plan for him."

"And what is that, Humphrey?"

"I shall not set him anything to do, and shall make him believe that I
do not think he is able to do anything. That will pique him, and I
think by that means I shall get more work out of him than you would
think, especially when, after he has done it, I express my wonder and
give him praise."

"Not a bad idea, that; you will work upon his pride, which is probably
stronger than his laziness."

"I do not think him lazy, but I think him unused to hard work, and,
having lived a life of wandering and idleness, not very