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Show 228 Early Western Travels [ Vol. 26 " Well!" was my exclamation, in true Yankee fashion, as I bowed my head low in entering the humble postern; " we're going to get pretty considerable of a sprinkling, I guess." " I reckon,' 9 was the sententious response of the most motherly- seeming of the three women, at the same time vociferating to the three larger of the children, " Oh, there, you Bill, Sail, Polly, honeys, get the gentleman a cheer! Walk in, sir; set down and take a seat!" This evolution of " setting down and taking a seat" was at length successfully effected, after sundry manceuvrings by way of planting the three pedestals of the uncouth tripod upon the same plane, and avoiding the fearful yawnings in the puncheon floor. When all was at length quiet, I [ 210] improved the opportunity of gazing about me to explore the curious habitation into which I found myself inserted. The structure, about twenty feet square, had originally been constructed of rough logs, the interstices stuffed with fragments of wood and stone, and daubed with clay; the chimney was built up of sticks laid crosswise, and plastered with the same material to resist the fire. Such had been the backwoodsman's cabin in its primitive prime; but time and the elements had been busy with the little edifice, and sadly had it suffered. Window or casement was there none, neither was there need thereof; for the hingeless door stood ever open, the clay was disappearing from the intervals between the logs, and the huge fireplace of stone exhibited yawning apertures, abundantly sufficient for all the purposes of light and ventilation to the single apartment of the building. The puncheon floor I have alluded to, and it corresponded well with the roof of the cabin, which had never, in its best estate, been designed to resist the peltings of such a pitiless torrent as was now assailing it. The water soon began trickling in little rivulets upon my shoulders, and my only alternative was my umbrella for shelter. The |