“'But what are you up to, pa?' says Dan, who didn't see the trick yet.
“The old man says, 'I'm goin' to fence in the rest part of my farm.'
“'What rest part?'
“'This part that never was fenced; the old meetin'-house common.'
“'But, pa,' says Dave, disgusted as I was, 'you've no claim on that.'
“'Wal, if I ha'n't, I'll make a claim. Give me the crowbar. Now, here's the corner, nigh as I can squint'; and he stuck the bar into the ground. 'Make a fence to here from the wall, both sides.'
“'Sho, pa!' says Dan, looking bewildered; 'ye a'n't goin' to fence in the old meetin'-house, be ye?'
“'That's jest what I'm goin' to do. Go and git some big stuns from the wall—the biggest ye can find, to rest the corners of the fence on. String the rails along by the road, Stark, and go for another load. Don't stand gawpin' there!'
“'Gawpin'?' says I; 'it's enough to make anybody gawp. You do beat all the critters I ever had to deal with. Haven't ye disgraced your family enough already, without stealing a meeting-house?'
“'How have I disgraced my family?' says he.