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"God could not have brought us to kinder people!" ex 
"Do you suppose they make soap the way we did in 
Mikkel, keeping an eye on the men who were following the 
"Fru Heg said they soak wood ashes in water. The lye 
off they boil with fat. It's just the same as in Norway." 
Mikkel waited a few minutes. Mor began to plunge th 
down in the keg. 
"Well, I guess I'll go now," said Mikkel at last. 
"Oh, are you still here?" asked Mor in surprise. "If yoA 
will be out of sight." 
Mikkd ran off like a deer. 
Believe it or not, Far and Uncle Knud did decide to bu 
the brook, and they even agreed the house should be near the 
Per's father decided to get the land joining Far's the boys w, 
with pride. 
"It's too bad the boys won't be here to enjoy the good 
ing. I'm  afraid they will miss their families for a whil 
will probably get used to being with strangers," said Uncle 
Mikkel and Per looked at each other. What kind of fool 
"Of course you two will have to go out and earn some 
your farms. They say rail splitters get six dollars a month i 
by the number of rails they cut. Heg was telling of a man 
seven hundred rails in one winter and got fifty cents a hi 
that would be thirteen and a half dollars for one winter's 
costs one dollar and a quarter an acre. If we get forty acres e 
have to earn a hundred dollars. I'm afraid we won't see mi 
few years," sighed Far.