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220 an' makes good, which gives him a pret' fair stand-in—

"Well the Admiral he goes off an' Paul, he sets down to think. He's gotta cut that damn cornstalk down somehow, but it's a big job. He thinks an thinks an' then he sends for th' Tie-Cuttin' Finn an' says—

"Tie-Cuttin Finn? Never heerd tell on him?"

He clicked his tongue in disgust and sighed.

"Well this here Finn, he was th' best broad-axe man Paul ever had, but he ain't quite so good as Paul wants at that, him havin' a big tie contrack. So Paul he gits an idea. He rigs a thirty-pound broad-axe on each of th' Finn's feet like skates." He drew up a foot to illustrate. "Straps 'em on good an' solid. Then th' Finn goes into th' cedar swamp. He goes up a tree, usin' these here axes for climbers, scores goin' up, gits to th' top, slides down, hewes two faces on th' way an' knocks off a tie every eight feet—"

Taylor did not laugh with the others. He looked again at the clock. It was quarter after one.

"Well Paul, he calls in th' Tie-Cuttin' Finn an' tells him to pick out fifty of th' likeliest-lookin' broad-axe men in camp, which th' Finn does. He takes 'em into th' swamp an' fer a month he teaches 'em ontil he's got fifty of th' best axe-men that ever spit on a hand.

"Then one mornin' bright an' early they all come out, axes all sharp, stripped to their shirts an' lines up roun' th' cornstalk.

"Paul he gits the dinner horn from th' cook shanty—Ever hear 'bout that dinner horn? Nope? Huh! Well she's a good one. Has to have a good one y' know, 'cause he runs a big camp an' th' men git scattered a long ways by dinner time, but nobody but Paul can blow this here