He set his great square shoulders against the butt of the tree, and delivered himself: "Friends and neighbors, and hands of my own, I am taken in here, and I own to it.

It serves me right for disbelieving what my grandson, Firm Gundry, said.

I knew that the tree was a big one, of course, as every body else does; but till you see a tree laid upon earth you get no grip of his girth, no more than you do of a man till he lieth a corpse.
At the time of felling I could not come anigh him, by reason of an accident; and I had some words with this boy about it, which kept me away ever since that time.

Firm, you were right, and I was wrong.

It was a real shame, now I see it, to throw down the 'King of the Mountains.' But, for all that, being down, we must use him.