tonishment.

"Yes. Sure. It takes time. But I know Aunt Ruth is an awful neat woman,
and I determined to do a full job!"

He had been taking a bath in each of the five tubs in succession. That
was Barker humor.

CHAPTER XI

WHEN WE WALKED THE TOWN LINES

It was some time the following week, I think, that the old Squire looked
across to us at the breakfast table and said, "Boys, don't you want to
walk the town lines for me? I think I shall let you do it this time--and
have the fee," he added, smiling.

The old gentleman was one of the selectmen of the town that year; and an
old law, or municipal regulation, required that one or more of the
selectmen should walk the town lines--follow round the town boundaries
on foot--once a year, to see that the people of adjoining towns, or
others, were not trespassing. The practice of walking the town lines is
now almost or quite obsolete, but it was a needed precaution when
inhabitants were few and when the thirty-six square miles of a township
consisted mostly of forest. At this time the southern half of our town
was already taken up in farms, but the northern part was still in forest
lots. The selectmen usually walked the north lines only.

When the state domain, almost all dense forest, was first surveyed, the
land was laid off in ranges, so-called, and tiers of lots. The various
grants of land to persons for public services were also surveyed in a
similar manner and the corners and lines established by means of stakes
and stones, and of blazed trees. If a large rock happened to lie at the
corner of a range or lot, the surveyor sometimes marked it with a drill.
Such rocks made the best corners.

Usually the four corners of the town were established by means of low,
square granite posts, set in the earth and with the initial letter of
the township cut in it with a drill.

As if it were yesterday I remember that sharp, cold morning. Hard-frozen
snow a foot deep still covered the cleared land, and in the woods it was
much deeper. The first heavy rainstorm of spring had come two days
before, but it had cleared off cold and windy the preceding evening,
with snow squalls and zero weather again. Nevertheless, Addison and I
were delighted at the old Squire's proposal, especially since the old
gentleman had hinted that we could have the fee, which was usually four
dollars when two of the selectmen walked the lines and were out all day.

"Go to the northeast corner of th