econd one the "stump burning" came off at the
Harding place and that was an occasion worthy of being chronicled.

CHAPTER VI

THE STUMP BURNING

Enoch and Lot Breckenridge, with Robbie Baker, had completed all the
plans for the stump burning that first training day at Bennington. Lot,
who lived so far from the Harding cabin, agreed to come over the night
before if his mother would let him, and Robbie was to remain with Enoch
the night after. The stumps and rubbish would be pretty well piled up
and fired by afternoon, and then the boys could run races, and play
games, and perhaps shoot at a mark, until supper-time. Mrs. Harding had
already promised if the boys worked well to make a nice supper for them.

"An' we'll have the girls," said Lot.

"Oh, what good'll they be at a stump burnin'?" demanded young Baker,
ungallantly.

"Lots o' good. They allus want good times, too," said Lot, standing up
for his sisters manfully. "You have no sisters, an' that's why you don't
want 'em."

"They'll be in the way. Their frocks'll git torn if they help us, an'
they'll git afire--or--or somethin'!"

"Nuck's sisters will be there. They'll want other girls," said the wise
Lot. "An' b'sides, Mis' Harding'll be lots better to us if the girls is
there. She allus is--my marm is. Mothers like girls, but boys is only a
nuisance, they says." Lot had drawn these conclusions from the remarks
of his own mother, who was troubled by many children and lacked that
"faculty," as New England folk used to term it, for bringing them up
cheerfully.

"I guess we'll get a better supper if the girls are there," admitted
Nuck, quietly.

"But what'll they do?" demanded Robbie, the embryo woman-hater.

"I'll get mother ter be layin' out a quilt, or something, an' the girls
can help about that."

"Zuckers!" cried Lot. "We'll have the finest time ever was. I'll be sure
an' tell ev'rybody down my way. An' we'll all bring powder an' shot; it
won't matter so much about guns, for them that don't have 'em can borry
of them that has, when it comes to shootin'."

"And I'll get Master Bolderwood to come an' be empire," declared Nuck,
no farther out in his pronunciation of the word than some boys are
nowadays.

So the girls were allowed to come, and an hour or two after sun-up on
the day in question the Harding place was fairly overrun with young folk
of both sexes. Those boys who came from a goodly distance brought their
sisters with them; but th