el. When they had at last given it
up, the young man from the river drawled, "You're right sure hit
weren't after th' boas give you that bottle that Wash lifted her,
are you Joe? Or wasn't hit on th' way home from th' settlement?"

When the laugh at this insinuation had died out, Buck said
thoughtfully, "Tell you what, boys; I'd like t' see Young Matt try
that lift."

Mr. Matthews, who was just starting back to the burr-house, paused
in the doorway. All eyes were fixed upon his son. "Try her, Matt.
Show us what you can do," called the men in chorus. But the young
man shook his head, and found something that needed his immediate
attention.

All that morning at intervals the mountaineers urged the big
fellow to attempt the feat, but he always put them off with some
evasive reply, or was too busy to gratify them.

But after dinner, while the men were pitching horse shoes in front
of the blacksmith shop, Buck Thompson approached the young
engineer alone. "Look a here, Matt," he said, "why don't you try
that lift? Durned me if I don't believe you'd fetch her."

The young giant looked around; "I know I can, Buck; I lifted her
yesterday while Dad fixed the blockin'; I always do it that way."

Buck looked at him in amazement. "Well, why in thunder don't you
show th' boys, then?" he burst forth at last.

"'Cause if I do Wash Gibbs'll hear of it sure, and I'll have to
fight him to settle which is th' best man."

"Good Lord!" ejaculated Buck, with a groan. "If you're afraid o'
Wash Gibbs, it's th' first thing I ever knowed you t' be scared
o'."

Young Matt looked his friend steadily in the eyes, as he replied;
"I ain't afraid of Wash Gibbs; I'm afraid of myself. Mr. Howitt
says, 'No man needn't be afraid of nobody but himself.' I've been
a thinkin' lately, Buck, an' I see some things that I never see
before. I figure it that if I fight Wash Gibbs or anybody else
just to see which is th' best man, I ain't no better'n he is. I
reckon I'll have to whip him some day, alright, an' I ain't a
carin' much how soon it comes; but I ain't a goin' to hurt nobody
for nothin' just because I can."

Buck made no reply to this. Such sentiment was a little too much
for his primitive notions. He went back to the men by the
blacksmith shop.

It was not long, however, until the players left their game, to
gather once more about the engine. Lem Wheeler approached Young
Matt with a serious air; "Look a here," he said; "we all want t'
se