the saw-pit, and have sawed the slabs for the sides of
the pit, and made it quite secure. The large fir-tree that was blown
down is now at the pit, ready for sawing up into planks, and Pablo and I
are to commence to-morrow. At first we made but a bad hand of sawing
off the slabs, but before we had cut them all we got on pretty well.
Pablo don't much like it, and indeed no more do I much, it is such
mechanical work, and so tiring; but he does not complain. I do not
intend that he shall saw more than two days in a week; that will be
sufficient; we shall get on fast enough."

"You are right, Humphrey; it is an old saying, that you must not work a
willing horse to death. Pablo is very willing, but hard work he is not
accustomed to."

"Well, now you must come and look at my flock of goats, Edward, they are
not far off. I have taught Holdfast to take care of them, and he never
leaves them now, and brings them home at night. Watch always remains
with me, and is an excellent dog, and very intelligent."

"You have indeed a fine flock, Humphrey!" said Edward.

"Yes, and they are improved in appearance already since they have been
here. Alice has got her geese and ducks, and I have made a place large
enough for them to wash in, until I have time to dig them out a pond."

"I thought we had gathered more hay than you required; but with this
addition, I think you will find none to spare before the spring."

"So far from it, that I have been mowing down a great deal more, Edward,
and it is almost ready to carry away. Poor Billy has had hard work of
it, I assure you, since he came back, with one thing and another."

"Poor fellow, but it won't last long, Humphrey," said Edward, smiling;
"the other horses will soon take his place."

"I trust they will," said Humphrey, "at all events by next spring;
before that I do not expect that they will."

"By the bye, Humphrey, you recollect what I said to you that the robber
I shot told me, just before he died?"

"Yes, I do recollect it now," replied Humphrey; "but I had quite forgot
all about it till you mentioned it now, although I wrote it down, that
we might not forget it."

"Well, I have been thinking all about it, Humphrey. The robber told me
that the money was mine, taking me for another person; therefore I do
not consider it was given to me, nor do I consider that it was his to
give. I hardly know what to do about it, nor to whom the money can be
said to belong."

"