wnpour such as Hiram had seldom experienced
before. Exhausted, he lay on the bank and let the pelting rain soak him
to the skin.

He did not care. Half drowned by the beating rain, he only crowed his
delight at the downpour. Every spark of fire was flooded out. The danger
was past.

He finally arose, and staggered through the downpour to the house, only
happy that--by a merciful interposition of Providence--the peril had
been overcome.

He tore off his clothing on the stoop, there in the pitch darkness, and
crept up to his bedroom where he rubbed himself down with a crash-towel,
and finally tumbled into bed and slept like a log till broad daylight.

CHAPTER XXII. FIRST FRUITS

For the first time since they had come to the farm, Hiram was the
last to get up in the house. And when he came down to breakfast,
still trembling from the exertion of the previous night, Mrs. Atterson
screamed at the sight of him.

"For the good Land o' Goshen!" she cried. "You look like a singed
chicken, Hiram Strong! Whatever have you been doing to yourself?"

He told them of the fight he had had while they slept. But he could talk
about it jokingly now, although Sister was inclined to snivel a little
over his danger.

"That Dickerson boy ought to be lashed--Nine and thirty lashes--none too
much--This sausage is good--humph!--and pancakes--fit for the gods--But
he'll come back--do more damage--the butter, yes I I want butter--and
syrup, though two spreads is reckless extravagance--Eh? eh? can't prove
anything against that Dickerson lout?-well, mebbe not."

So Old Lem Camp commented upon the affair. But Hiram could not prove
that the neighbor's boy had done any of these things which pointed to a
malicious enemy.

The young farmer began to wonder if he could not lay a trap, and so
bring about his undoing.

As soon as the ground was in fit condition again (for the nights rain
had been heavy) Hiram scattered the lime he had planned to use upon
the four acres of land plowed for corn, and dragged it in with a
spike-toothed harrow.

Working as he was with one horse alone, this took considerable time,
and when this corn land was ready, it was time for him to go through the
garden piece again with the horse cultivator.

Sister and Lem Camp, both, had learned to use the man-weight wheel-hoe,
and the fine stuff was thinned and the weeds well cut out. From time
to time the young farmer had planted peas--both the dwarf and taller
varie