hrashed you, nothing would be proved by it in regard
to the line fence."

"I'll show you what I can prove!" cried Pete, and rushed for him.

In a catch-as-catch-can wrestle Pete Dickerson might have been able
to overturn Hiram Strong. But the latter did not propose to give the
long-armed youth that advantage.

He dropped the spade, stepped nimbly aside, and as Pete lunged past
him the young farmer doubled his fist and struck his antagonist solidly
under the ear.

That was the only blow struck--that and the one when Pete struck the
ground. The bigger fellow rolled over, grunted, and gazed up at Hiram
with amazement struggling with the rage expressed in his features.

"I told you we were not well matched, Peter," spoke Hiram, calmly. "Why
fight about it? You have no right on your side, and I do not propose to
see Mrs. Atterson robbed of this water privilege."

Pete climbed to his feet slowly, and picked up his coat. He felt of his
neck carefully and then looked at his hand, with the idea evidently that
such a heavy blow must have brought blood. But of course there was none.

"I'll tell my dad--that's what I'll do," ejaculated the bully, at
length, and he started immediately across the field, his long legs
working like a pair of tongs in his haste to get over the ground.

But Hiram completed the setting of the posts at the water-hole without
hearing further from any member of the Dickerson family.

CHAPTER XIII. THE UPROOTING

These early Spring days were busy ones for Hiram Strong. The mornings
were frosty and he could not get to his fencing work until midforenoon.
But there were plenty of other tasks ready to his hand.

There were two south windows in the farmhouse kitchen. He tried to keep
some fire in the stove there day and night, sleeping as he did in Uncle
Jeptha's old bedroom nearby.

Before these two windows he erected wide shelves and on these he set
shallow boxes of rich earth which he had prepared under the cart shed.
There was no frost under there, the earth was dry and the hens had
scratched in it during the winter, so Hiram got all the well-sifted
earth he needed for his seed boxes.

He used a very little commercial fertilizer in each box, and planted
some of the seeds he had bought in Crawberry at an agricultural
warehouse on Main Street.

Mrs. Atterson had expressed the hope that he would put in a variety of
vegetables for their own use, and Hiram had followed her wishes. When
the eart