of junk, and Hiram had already scratched over Uncle Jeptha's
collection of many years' standng.

He found what he sought in a wrought iron band some half inch in
thickness with a heavy hook attached to it by a single strong
link. He fitted this band upon the larger end of the hickory
bar, wedging it tightly into place.

A short length of trace chain completed his simple post-puller.
And he could easily carry the outfit from place to place as it
was needed.

When he found a weak or rotting post, he pulled the staples that
held the strands of wire to it and and then set the trestle
alongside the post. Resting the lever on the trestle, he dropped
the end link of the chain on the hook, looped the chain around
the post, and hooked on with another link. Bearing down on the
lever brought the post out of the ground every time.

With a long-handled spade Hiram cleaned out the old holes, or
enlarged them, and set his new posts, one after the other. He
left the wires to be tightened and stapled later.

lt was not until the next afternoon that he worked down as far as
the water-hole. Meanwhile he had seen nothing of the neighbors
and neither knew, nor cared, whether they were watching him or
not.

But it was evident that the Dickersons had kept tabs on the young
farmer's progress, for, he had no more than pulled the posts out