aking.
The bond with the Jackson home strengthened, and the desire to make good
at his "job" drove him to throw all the interest and power of his strong
young life into his task.

Winter had added many facts to his growing knowledge about leather. Up
to February he and Nat had been together in the beamhouse and seen the
great care which was taken that the freshly tanned skins should not
freeze. Fortunately for the Coddington Company most of their buildings
were new and were equipped with steam-heated lofts where drying could be
accomplished with little trouble; but one or two of the old buildings
had shutters and in consequence were dependent upon drying the wet skins
in the outer air. If the leather was allowed to freeze its fibre was
greatly weakened and its value decreased. Accordingly during cold
weather the shutters in the old factories had to be closed and the
newly tanned hides piled on the floor and covered with heavy canvas. Of
course the leather rolled badly, but since it was possible to dampen and
stretch it into shape this difficulty could be overcome.

In the finishing department where the two lads were next sent many more
new features swelled their increasing fund of information. Wherever they
went they left a train of friends behind them. Peter seemed to be the
general property of the tanneries. The men quarreled good-naturedly over
which factory could really claim the Little Giant. To all this chaff
Peter returned modest replies and the odd little chuckle that had
so endeared him to his schoolmates. Nobody could imitate that
chuckle--nobody--although many of them tried. It was a part of Peter
himself, a part of the good will he felt toward the world and everybody
in it.

"You can't hear it without your heart warming toward the lad," remarked
Carmachel one day.

Armed with this simple weapon Peter went on his way. He met the men
about him with a frank expectation that they would like him, and they
did. Nat also made friends, but as he was a much quieter boy most of
those who sought him out did so because he shone with a glory reflected
from Peter. Was he not Strong's chum? He must somehow be worth knowing
if he had that honor.

This rough kindliness of the workmen robbed labor of much of its
hardship. The two lads pushed eagerly ahead and were delighted when,
toward spring, they were again promoted--this time to the department
which turned out the tooled and embossed leathers.

This was one of the