rld."

He began to undo his pack while the little company stood around him.

"Gentlemen, you can see but you can not buy. Only my frient can have dem
goods," he went on glibly as he removed the cover of the pack.

Suddenly there was a lively stir in it. To the amazement of all a
beautiful girl threw aside the ticking and leaped out of the large wicker
basket it had covered. With a merry laugh she threw her arms around Jack
Kelso's neck and kissed him.

The men clapped their hands in noisy merriment.

"That's like Bim, isn't it?" said the Doctor.

"Exactly!" Abe exclaimed.

"I stop at David Barney's an' dere she took de goods out o' my pack an'
fix up dis job lot fer you," said Eli with a laugh.

"A real surprise party!" the girl exclaimed.

She was a small sized girl, nearing sixteen, with red cheeks and hazel
eyes and blonde hair that fell in curls upon her shoulders.

"Mr. Traylor, this is my daughter Bim," said Kelso. "She is skilled in
the art of producing astonishment."

"She must have heard of that handsome boy at the tavern and got in a
hurry to come home," said the Doctor.

"Ann Rutledge says that he is a right purty boy," the girl laughed as she
brushed her curls aside.

She turned to Samson Traylor and asked wistfully, "Do you suppose he
would play with me?"

CHAPTER IV

WHICH PRESENTS OTHER LOG CABIN FOLK AND THE FIRST STEPS IN THE MAKING OF
A NEW HOME AND CERTAIN CAPACITIES AND INCAPACITIES OF ABE.

Next morning at daylight two parties went out in the woods to cut timber
for the home of the newcomers. In one party were Harry Needles carrying
two axes and a well filled luncheon pail; Samson with a saw in his hand
and the boy Joe on his back; Abe with saw and axe and a small jug of root
beer and a book tied in a big red handkerchief and slung around his neck.
When they reached the woods Abe cut a pole for the small boy and carried
him on his shoulder to the creek and said:

"Now you sit down here and keep order in this little frog city. If you
hear a frog say anything improper you fetch him a whack. Don't allow any
nonsense. We'll make you Mayor of Frog City."

The men fell to with axes and saws while Harry limbed the logs and looked
after the Mayor. Their huge muscles flung the sharp axes into the timber
and gnawed through it with the saw. Many big trees fell before noon time
when they stopped for luncheon. While they were eating Abe said:

"I reckon we better saw out a few boar