by noon, and the snow'll soon be slush. Now's your chance to get
your traps up in a hurry. I can have a two-hoss sled ready in half
an hour, and if you say so I can hire a big sleigh of a neighbor,
and we'll have everything here by dinner-time. After you get things
snug, you won't care if the bottom does fall out of the roads for a
time. Well, you HAVE had to rough it. Merton might have come and
stayed with us."

"Oh, I'm all right," said the boy, rubbing his eyes open as he rose
from the floor, at the same time learning from stiff joints that a
carpet is not a mattress.

"Nothing would suit me better, Mr. Jones, than your plan of prompt
action, and I'm the luckiest man in the world in having such a long-
headed, fore-handed neighbor to start with. I know you'll make a
good bargain for the other team, and before I sleep to-night I wish
to square up for everything. I mean at least to begin business in
this way at Maizeville."

"Oh, go slow, go slow!" said Mr. Jones. "The town will mob you if
they find you've got ready money in March. John junior will be over
with a pot of coffee and a jug of milk in a few minutes, and we'll
be off sharp."

There was a patter of feet overhead, and soon Bobsey came tearing
down, half wild with excitement over the novelty of everything. He
started for the door as if he were going head first into the snow.

I caught him, and said: "Do you see that chair? Well, we all have a
busy day before us. You can help a good deal, and play a little, but