The colonel and Miss Editha were standing a little to one side, and I
knew that he was being sentimental by the fluttering smile that came and
went on her tea-rose face; but suddenly he turned and said to daddy,
with his fierce old face lighting:

"Just look, Hayes, there's pioneer blood in them yet--and brawn, too,"
he added, as Tolly and Pink and Billy Robertson stripped off their coats
and came forward as Sam knocked the last crimson cedar chip from the
last log.

"Steady--up now, Tolly," said Sam, as Tolly bent to one end of one of
the long, rough cedar logs, that had so lately been a forest king, but
that was now dethroned and shorn of its branching power with which to
wrestle with the wind. Pink and Billy got holds in between. "Up--up,
boys! Now roll!" shouted Sam again, and with a strain and a heave they
landed the first log level and true on the stone underpinnings.

"Hip--hip--hurrah for the poet's house!" shouted Tolly, as he rolled his
shirt-sleeves up and spat on his hands to show his readiness for more
logs; and we all clapped, while Edith picked up a button that had popped
off his shirt with the strain of his big chest underneath.

Then for a second Sam's kind eyes sank down deep into mine and smoldered
there. I know he was praying for Peter as the rest cheered. Then he bent
and called out:

"Next. Up--up, boys! Steady!"

My eyes misted for a second, and Peter's pale face rose before them in
the mist. Peter is a man of dreams, for whom was being harnessed all