I axed him this mornin' ez he'd be willin' ef I could trade with
another boy ter take my place wunst in a while."

Nate affected to meditate on this view of the question. "But it
will be toler'ble fur away fur me ter go prowlin' in the woods, a-
huntin' fur gold, an' our fodder jes' a-sufferin' ter be pulled. Ef
the spot air fur off, I can't come an' I won't, not fur haffen the
make."

"'T ain't fur off at all--scant haffen mile," replied unwary Birt,
anxious to convince. "It air jes' yander nigh that thar salt lick
down the ravine. I marks the spot by a bowlder--biggest bowlder I
ever see--on the slope o' the mounting."

The instant this revelation passed his lips, regret seized him.
"But ye ain't ter go thar 'thout me, ye onderstand, till we begins
our work."

"I ain't wantin' ter go," Nate protested. "I ain't sati'fied in my
mind whether I'll ondertake ter holp or no. That pullin' fodder ez
I hev got ter do sets mighty heavy on my stomach."

"Tim an' yer dad ALWAYS pulls the fodder an' sech--I knows ez that
air a true word," said Birt, bluntly. "An' I can't git away from
the tanyard at all ef ye won't holp me, 'kase old Jube 'lowed he
wouldn't let me swop with a smaller boy ter work hyar; an' all them
my size, an' bigger, air made ter work with thar dads, 'ceptin' you-
uns."

Nate heard, but he hardly looked as if he did, so busily absorbed