whom I shall marry; but, heavens, I don't marry a wife

"You shouldn't speak so of your mother, Pomp. She's a good mother to you, and works hard to earn money to support you."

"Yes, Mass' Frank," said Pomp, who was getting impatient to go. "I guess I'll go home and help her."

Frank thought that what he had said was producing a good effect. He did not know the secret of Pomp's haste.

Pomp left the room, and, proceeding to the wood-shed, hastily possessed himself of the musket. In a stealthy manner he crept with it through a field behind the house, until he got into the neighboring woods.

He found it a hard tug to carry the gun, which was heavier than those made at the present day. At length he reached an open space in the woods, only a few rods from the road which led from the farmhouse, past the shanty occupied by old Chloe. As this road was not much traveled, Pomp felt pretty safe from discovery, and accordingly here it was that he halted, and made preparations to go through the manual.

"It begins dis yer way," said Pomp, after a little reflection.

Grasping the musket with one hand he called out in an important tone:

For the benefit of the uninitiated it may be explained that Pomp meant "Attention, squad!"