ey had hard work at first, getting the wagon up out of the hollow; and
the boy, when they reached at last the top of the hill, and stopped to
rest, declared that there wasn't half the fun in it there was in going a
fishing; the justice of which remark Jack did not question. But after
that the way was comparatively easy; and with Jack pulling in the
shafts, his new acquaintance pushing in the rear, and Lion trotting on
before, the buggy went rattling down the woodland road in lively
fashion.

CHAPTER VI.

"LORD BETTERSON'S."

On a sort of headland jutting out from the high timber region into the
low prairie of the river bottom, stood a house, known far and near as
"Lord Betterson's," or, as it was sometimes derisively called, "Lord
Betterson's Castle," the house being about as much a castle as the owner
was a lord.

The main road of the settlement ran between it and the woods; while on
the side of the river the land swept down in a lovely slope to the
valley, which flowed away in a wider and more magnificent stream of
living green. It was really a fine site, shaded by five or six young
oaks left standing in the spacious door-yard.

The trouble was, that the house had been projected on somewhat too grand
a scale for the time and country and, what was worse, for the owner's
resources. He had never been able to finish it; and now its
weather-browned clapboards, unpainted front pillars, and general shabby,
ill-kept appearance, set off the style of architecture in a way to make
beholders smile.

"Lord Betterson took a bigger mouthful than he could swaller, when he
sot out to build his castle here," said his neighbor, Peakslow.

The proprietor's name--it may as well be explained--was Elisha Lord
Betterson. It was thus he always wrote it, in a large round hand, with a
bold flourish. Now the common people never will submit to call a man
_Elisha_. The furthest they can possibly go will be _'Lisha_, or
_'Lishy_; and, ten to one, the tendency to monosyllables will result in
_'Lishe_. There had been a feeble attempt among the vulgar to
familiarize the public mind with _'Lishe Betterson_; but the name would
not stick to a person of so much dignity of character. It was useless to
argue that his dignity was mere pomposity; or that a man who, in
building a fine house, broke down before he got the priming on, was
unworthy of respect; still no one could look at him, or call up his
image, and say, conscientiously, "'Lishe