good."

"Sure!" says I. "Most likely I'll get the habit and by the end of the
summer I'll be a reg'lar Sandow. Now where's that kitchen alarm clock?
Let's see. M-m-m-m! About 5:30 will do for a starter, eh?"

Oh, I'm a determined cuss when I get going. Next mornin' the sun and me
punched in at exactly the same time, and I don't know which was most
surprised. But there I was, associatin' with the twitterin' little birds
and the early worms, and to show I was just as happy as they were I hums
a merry song as I swings out through the dewy grass with the spade over
my shoulder.

Say, there's no fake about the grass being dewy at that hour, either. I
hadn't gone more 'n a dozen steps through it before my feet were as
soggy as if I'd been wadin' in a brook. I don't do any stallin' around,
same as these low brow labor gangs. I pitches right in earnest and
impetuous, makin' the dirt fly. Why, I had the busy little bee lookin'
like he was loafin' on a government contract.

I was just about gettin' my second wind and was puttin' in some heavy
licks when I hears somebody tootin' a motor horn out in the road. I
looks up to find that it's that sporty neighbor of mine, Nick Barrett,
who now and then indulges a fad for an early spin in his stripped
roadster. He has collected his particular chum, Norris Bagby, and I
expect they're out to burn up the macadam before the traffic cops go on
duty.

"What's the big idea, Torchy?" sings out Nick. "Going to bury a cat, or
something?"

"Nothing tragic like that," says I. "Just subbin' in for the gardener.
Pulling a little honest toil, such as maybe you've read about but
haven't met."

"Doing it on a bet, I suppose?" suggests Norris.

"Ah, run along and don't get comic," says I.

And with that I tears into the sod again, puttin' both shoulders and my
back into the swing. I don't let up, either, until I think it must be
after 7 o'clock, and then I stops long enough to look at my watch. It's
just 6:20. Well, I expect I slowed up some from then on. No use tryin'
to dig all over that ground in one morning. And at 6:35 I discovers that
I'd raised a water blister on both palms. Ten minutes later I noticed
this ache in my back and arms.

"Oh, well!" says I, "gotta take time to change and wash up."

At that I didn't feel so bad. After a shower and a fresh outfit from the
socks up I was ready to tackle three fried eggs and two cups of coffee.
On the way to the station I glanced proud at wha