dusk. About them in the forest's edge, standing in groups under
the trees, were the shadowy forms of saddle horses and mules, tied
by their bridle reins to the lower branches; and nearer to the
cabin, two or three teams, tied to the rail-fence, stood hitched
to big wagons in which were splint-bottom chairs for extra seats.

During the evening, the men tried in their rough, good natured
way, to joke Young Matt about taking advantage of Ollie Stewart's
absence, but they very soon learned that, while the big fellow was
ready to enter heartily into all the fun of the occasion, he would
not receive as a jest any allusion to his relation to the girl,
whom he had escorted to the party. Sammy, too, when her big
companion was not near, suffered from the crude wit of her
friends.

"Ollie Stewart don't own me yet," she declared with a toss of the
head, when someone threatened to write her absent lover.

"No," replied one of her tormentors, "but you ain't aimin' to miss
your chance o' goin' t' th' city t' live with them big-bugs."

In the laugh that followed, Sammy was claimed by a tall woodsman
for the next dance, and escaped to take her place on the floor.

"Well, Ollie'll sure make a good man for her," remarked another
joker; "if he don't walk th' chalk, she can take him 'cross her
knee an' wallop him."

"She'll surely marry him, alright," said the first, "'cause he's
got th' money, but she's goin' t' have a heap o' fun makin' Young