Part 47 (1/2)
”It is To, one of the best wood-choppers in the country It is wonderful hat dexterity he wields an axe”
As the Judge uttered these words, the two gentleed from the wood into the open space, denuded of its sylvan honors, by the labors of Gladding
The clearing (as it is technically termed), was perhaps a couple of acres in extent, in the form of a circle, and surrounded on all sides by trees, only a narrow strip of theliht under the branches and the thin undergrowth A brook which ca in the bea on its way across the opening to fall into the Wootuppocut The felled trees had been th, and collected into piles which looked like so round Here it was intended they should re the summer, to be ready for a e and Mr Aruessed as e bark He its on the scent of a rabbit or squirrel”
”I dare say, Tiger knows a great dealyou come on bravely I had no idea you had made such destruction”
”When I once put , ”down they er than Goliah Me andof one another pretty well All I have to do, is to say, 'go it,' and every tree's a goner”
After this little bit of vanity, Toood his boast by deeds, with a feell-directed blows, that seemed to be made without effort, lopped off an enormous limb from the tree he had just cut down
”I've heard tell,” said To off the limbs, ”that the Britishers and the Mounseers don't use no such axes as ourn You've been across the Big Pond, and can tell a fellow all about it”
”It is true, they do not The European axe is somewhat differently shaped frohted critturs!” exclaimed Tom, in a tone of commiseration ”I saw one of them Parleyvoos once, try to handle an axe, and I be darned, if he didn't coht foot If he hadn't been as weak as Taunton water--that, folks say, can't run down hill--as all theular stout cowhiders, I do believe he'd never had the chance to have the gout in one toe, anyhow Why, I'd as soon trust a monkey with a coal of fire, in a powder-house, as one of them chaps with an axe”
”We have the best axes, and the e, not unwilling to huuy lucky we have, seeing as hoe've got so many thousands and thousands of acres to clear up,” said Tom, with a sort of confused notion, that the skill of his countrymen was a natural faculty not possessed by ”furriners” ”But, Judge,” he added, ”I' down the trees at this season of the year, and it kind o'
goes agininto 'eht not to be cut when the sap is rising I suppose, the fire-wood is not so good?”
”Not half Turn the thing as you choose, and you'll see you're wrong
In the first place, the wood ain't nigh as good; then, you lose the growth the whole summer, and, lastly, you take away a fellow froe ”Do I not give you full wages? Can you get higher wages elsewhere?”
”No fault to find with the pay,” answered Toh
But, that ain't the idee What I' useful coo right to my heart; for, I says to e don't understand his own interest, and he's only paying e Bernard was too well-acquainted with the honest independence of Gladding to be offended at his unco at it fro a certain respect for that right-arded not merely the personal reeneral benefit to be produced He laughed, therefore, as he replied--
”You do not see Perhaps, I have objects you do not see”
”It ain't to be expected,” said Tom, ”and it ain't rational to suppose, that aover all creation, and then when he come home, took to the law, should know uess you know as ht up to 'eot reasons of your own, as plenty as feathers in a bed, and I've been talking like , like a darned fool”
”You are too hard on yourself, now But, for your consolation, ill stop to-day with this piece of work, and you shall not be pained to cut down any e as I wish it, and ill see to the burning of the brush, when it is drier But, where is Mr Ar, at the commencement of the conversation, had strayed away by himself, and sat down by one of the altar-like piles of wood, near the in of the brook Here he leaned his head on his hand, and seemed lost in meditation He was in this posture when the excla round, discovered theman, and immediately advanced toward him So deep was his abstraction, that it was not until his friend's hand rested on his shoulder that he are of the other's presence He arose, and the two retraced their steps together The sun, by this time, had sunk behind the horizon, and, as they passed, Gladding threw his axe on his shoulder and joined their colad,” said the wood-chopper, as they stepped out of the clearing, and turned to look back upon what he had accomplished, ”that job's done, and I can turnelse more like summer work”
”Do you ?” inquired Ar