after a few months,
surveying was added to his regular studies.

Mr. Williams was a thorough instructor, and believed that scholars
should master one branch of study before they took up another. He paid
much attention to reading, spelling and penmanship, encouraging his
pupils to place a high value upon these common, but fundamental,
studies.

"You are a good mathematician, George, and surveying will come easy to
you," remarked Mr. Williams. "Surveyors will be in great demand in this
country before it is many years older."

"I should like to understand it," replied George, "and I mean to
understand it before I have done going to school."

"And the sooner you commence the study of it the better it will be for
you," added Mr. Williams. "You are old enough, and sufficiently advanced
to pursue it successfully. By and by you can survey the fields about
here, by way of practising the art; and you will enjoy it hugely. It
will be better than play."

"Better than playing soldier?" said George inquiringly, and in a tone of
pleasantry. He had already organized the boys in Mr. William's school
into two armies, and more than one mimic battle had been fought.

"Yes, better than any sham thing," answered Mr. Williams. "It will be
study and diversion together--work and play--improving mind and body at
the same time."

"I see, I see," responded George. "I can abandon soldiering for that."
But he never did. There was too great fascination about military tactics
to allow of that. He devoted himself to surveying with commendable
application and rapid progress; but he continued, to some extent, the
chief sport of his school-days--mimic war.

George was not more than thirteen or fourteen years of age when he
surveyed the land about the school-house. He was the first pupil in Mr.
Williams' school who had performed such a practical piece of work, and
his school-mates were deeply interested in his exploit. He ranked high
as a scholar, and his manly bearing made him appear several years older
than he was. He led Mr. Williams' school, as he did that of Mr. Hobby,
in scholarship, behavior and physical prowess. He seemed born to lead,
and his associates were content to have it so.

One of his biographers speaks as follows of his first efforts at
surveying:

"When he had advanced so far in his study as to give him some idea of
the proper use and handling of the chain and compass, the two principal
instruments employed in this art, he