Flint coiled up his long limbs , put his hands in his pockets , chewed meditatively for a moment , and then began , with his slowest drawl : -- `` Waal , sir , it 's pretty nigh ten year ago , I was damster daown tew Oldtaown , clos ' t to Banggore . My folks lived tew Bethel ; there was only the old man , and Aunt Siloam , keepin ' house fer him , seein ' as I was the only chick he hed . I hed n't heared from 'em fer a long spell , when there come a letter sayin ' the old man was breakin ' up . He 'd said it every spring fer a number er years , and I did n't mind it no more 'n the breakin ' up er the river ; not so much , jest then ; fer the gret spring drive was comin ' on , and my hands was tew full to quit work all tew oncet . I sent word I 'd be ` long ` fore a gret while , and byme-by I went . I ought tew hev gone at fust ; but they 'd sung aout ` Wolf ! ' so often I war n't scared ; an ' sure ` nuff the wolf did come at last . Father hed been dead and berried a week when I got there , and aunt was so mad she would n't write , nor scurcely speak tew me for a consider ` ble spell . I did n't blame her a mite , and felt jest the wust kind ; so I give in every way , and fetched her raound . Yeou see I bed a cousin who 'd kind er took my place tew hum while I was off , an ' the old man hed left him a good slice er his money , an ' me the farm , hopin ' to keep me there . He 'd never liked the lumberin ' bizness , an ' hankered arfter me a sight , I faound . Waal , seem ' haow 't was , I tried tew please him , late as it was ; but ef there was ennything I did spleen ag ` inst it was farmin ' , ` specially arfter the smart times I 'd ben hevin ' , up Oldtaown way . Yeou do n't know nothin ' abaout it ; but ef yeou want tew see high dewin 's , jest hitch onto a timber-drive an ' go it daown along them lakes and rivers , say from Kaumchenungamooth tew Punnobscot Bay . Guess yeou 'd see a thing or tew , an ' find livin ' on a log come as handy as ef you was born a turtle . `` Waal , I stood it one summer ; but it was the longest kind of a job . Come fall I turned contry , darned the farm , and vaowed I 'd go back tew loggin ' . Aunt hed got fond er me by that time , and felt dreadful bad abaout my leavin ' on her . Cousin Siah , as we called Josiah , did n't cotton tew the old woman , though he did tew her cash ; but we hitched along fust-rate . She was ` tached tew the place , hated tew hev it let or sold , thought I 'd go to everlastin ' rewin ef I took tew lumberin ' ag ` in , an ' hevin ' a tidy little sum er money all her own , she took a notion tew buy me off . ` Hiram , ' sez she , ` ef yeou 'll stay to hum , merry some smart girl , an ' kerry on the farm , I 'll leave yeou the hull er my fortin .
Ef yeou do n't , I 'll leave every cent o n't tew XXXXX , though he ai n't done as waal by me as yeou hev .
't Father Siah ag contry fust left loggin war week