was first at the brown pony's side. Sammy's eyes shone
with admiration, and, as the strong man felt their light, he was
not at all sorry that he had won the mule colt for Buck.

"No," she said, declining his offered assistance; she did not wish
to get down; they were going to the postoffice and would call for
the meal on their way home.

Young Matt lifted the sack of corn from Brownie's back and carried
it into the shed. When he returned to the group, Ollie was saying
in his thin voice, "In th' circus I seen in the city there was a
feller that lifted a man, big as Jed here, clean above his head
with one hand."

Buck turned to his big friend. His look was met by a grim smile
that just touched the corners of the lad's mouth, and there was a
gleam in the blue eyes that betrayed the spirit within. The lean
mountaineer again turned to the company, while the boy glanced at
Sammy. The girl was watching him and had caught the silent
exchange between the two friends.

"Shucks!" said Buck; "Matt could do that easy." "Try it, Matt."
"Try Jed here." "Try hit once," called the chorus.

This time the big fellow needed no urging. With Sammy looking on,
he could not resist the opportunity which Ollie himself had
presented. Without a word, but with a quick tightening of the
lips, he stepped forward and caught Jed by the belt with his right
hand; and then, before anyone could guess his purpose, he reached
out with his other hand, and grasped Ollie himself in the same
manner. There was a short step forward, a quick upward swing, and
the giant held a man in each hand at full arm's length above his
head. Amid the shouts of the crowd, still holding the men, he
walked deliberately to the blacksmith shop and back; then lowering
them easily to their feet, turned to his engine.

Ollie and Sammy rode away together, up the green arched road, and
the little company in the mill shed stood watching them. As the
finely formed young woman and her inferior escort passed from
sight, a tall mountaineer, from the other side of Compton Ridge,
remarked, "I done heard Preachin' Bill say t'other day, that
'mighty nigh all this here gee-hawin', balkin', and kickin'
'mongst th' married folks comes 'cause th' teams ain't matched up
right.' Bill he 'lowed God 'lmighty 'd fixed hit somehow so th'
birds an' varmints don't make no mistake, but left hit plumb easy
for men an' women t' make durned fools o' theirselves."

Everybody grinned in appreciation, an