He was young, but he must have been most everywhere and seen everything.

He was very brave and could stand off three men who were going to take from him the money he was carrying to buy a piece of land in Illinois.

The minute the grown folks left the room to milk, do the night feeding, and begin supper, he twisted in his chair and looked at every door, and went and stood at the back dining-room window, where he could see the barn and what was out there, and coming back he took a peep into father's and mother's room, and although he limped dreadfully when he came, he walked like any one when he went over and picked up father's gun and looked to see if it were loaded, and seemed mighty glad when he found it wasn't.

Father said he could load in a flash when it was necessary, but he was dubious about a loaded gun in a house full of children.

Not one of us ever touched it, until the boys were big enough to have permission, like Laddie and Leon had.