West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-07-15
Copyright, 1915 by American Pres. Association. u

Il have two barrels up at the house,
Sam explained "we'n unload the
wagon and go up and haul them down
full OF water"
The horse was harnessed again. the
manure scattered and the boys were
soon back with two barrels OF water
ana bucket The fire was started
and allowed TO burn only In ono dlrec-
don-the way the wind carried IL.
Sam followed close behind with the
bucket and poured water on tho rails
tnat now and then took fire. Andrew
drove the wagon alongside and refilled
the bucket from the barrels for Sam.
once the fire had got well started it
burned rapidly and In very short
while 1t had gone entirely around the
Held. Nothing remained of the matted
tangle except a few charred bushes
and coarse briers. Taking the brier
hook and the grubbing hoe, Sam and
Andrew had these all down In less than
an hour.
well, that jobs DONE" Sam exclaim.
ed when they had finished, "and Il
wasn't half as hard as I thought II
was going to be-"
II we hadn't figured out new way
10 do 1t, though, IT would have been
hard enough" said Andrew.
YES" Sam agreed, 1--WE saved a lot
OF work there by using our minds n
little. 1t doesn't pay to work without
thinking. and I'm going TO mix little
OF 1t with my work from now on. Let's
N
see how the choppers are getting
along"
Hello, therer' yelled Fred Martin
when he saw Sam aud his companion
driving up. You haven't deserted
that Job, have your"
NO" the two replied I'm unison. "of
course we haven't deserted II. We fin
ished II. that's all, and now we're down
after some poles"
Jaw. get outr' the two choppers
scoffed. Don't tell us you've cleared
. out that streak OF briers. Why. rab-
bit couldn't get through H."
NO." admitted Sam. 1--WE didn't clear
quite all OF 1t ourselves. but what we
didn't the fire did"
"Oh, you burned IL out, did your"
"Sure, we put the FIRE to it, and the
rats and rabbits had to hunt n new
country"
WELL" Joe Watson remarked. 1--WE
have got the poles for you-about forty
OF them"
Forty! My. but you must have been
working" Sam congratulated. Forty
will be enough TO mend the fence, I
think"
When IL came TO mending the fence
Sam had real reason TO be glad that
his comrades had come with him. By
himself he would have been forced to
tear down panel OF fence wherever
q rotten rail was 10 be replaced With
help. though, # was the work of only
a minute TO pry up the corners and put
In new pole.
BY noon the fence had been mended
all round and the boys retired TO
grove or walnut trees near the branch
to eat their lunches. That's fob No
2 done" said Sam when they were
seated. "and goodness knows bow long
It would have taken me to do 1t IL you
boys hadn't come along"
well. it wasn't very hard work." re-
piled Fred Martin; lust enough ex-
ercise In it to give US a good appe-
dte. II you don't believe 1t Just watch
what we do to this bacon and corn
bread and these onions"
MY, but they taste good" said An
drew, with his mouth full. Its
strange. but ! couldn't eat these at
home. and now there's not going to be
enough OF 1t for me-"
The boys all laughed and said that
they were thinking the same thing.
Sam wouldn't hear to his chums
working In the afternoon. He thought
that they had already done enough, SO
they stayed to gather walnuts and ex-
plore the creek, while Sam went of to
haul ashes and scatter them on the
acre that was to be his prize patch OF
corn.
Niles Pagan happened to pass along
while Sam was at work and leaned
over the fence 10 watch him for
minute.
What's that you're putin on the
land. Sam he asked, after he had
watched the boy for some time.
Ashes" Sam replied. and went on
Bhoveling.
"Ashesr Mr. Pagan questioned. do
you think it'l do any goodY'
"Of course do sam answered.
Most anything would do this land
good But didn't you know. Mr. Ia
gan, that ashes are a Gne fertllizerY