Old Matt and his son glanced quickly at each other, and the boy shook his head with a smile. This little by-play was lost on the men who were interested in the efforts of different ones, in groups of three, to move the wheel. When they had at last given it up, the young man from the river drawled, “You’re right sure hit weren’t after th’ boss give you that bottle that Wash lifted her, are you Joe? Or wasn’t hit on th’ way home from th’ settlement?”
When the laugh at this insinuation had died out, Buck said thoughtfully, “Tell you what, boys; I’d like t’ see Young Matt try that lift.”
Mr. Matthews, who was just starting back to the burr-house, paused in the doorway. All eyes were fixed upon his son. “Try her, Matt. Show us what you can do,” called the men in chorus. But the young man shook his head, and found something that needed his immediate attention.
All that morning at intervals the mountaineers urged the big fellow to attempt the feat, but he always put them off with some evasive reply, or was too busy to gratify them.
But after dinner, while the men were pitching horse shoes in front of the blacksmith shop, Buck Thompson approached the young engineer alone. “Look a here, Matt,” he said, “why don’t you try that lift? Durned me if I don’t believe you’d fetch her.”
The young giant looked around; “I know I can, Buck; I lifted her yesterday while Dad fixed the blockin’; I always do it that way.”
Buck looked at him in amazement. “Well, why in thunder don’t you show th’ boys, then?” he burst forth at last.
“’Cause if I do Wash Gibbs’ll hear of it sure, and I’ll have to fight him to settle which is th’ best man.”
“Good Lord!” ejaculated Buck, with a groan. “If you’re afraid o’ Wash Gibbs, it’s th’ first thing I ever knowed you t’ be scared o’.”
Young Matt looked his friend steadily in the eyes, as he replied; “I ain’t afraid of Wash Gibbs; I’m afraid of myself. Mr. Howitt says, ‘No man needn’t be afraid of nobody but himself.’ I’ve been a thinkin’ lately, Buck, an’ I see some things that I never see before. I figure it that if I fight Wash Gibbs or anybody else just to see which is th’ best man, I ain’t no better’n he is. I reckon I’ll have to whip him some day, alright, an’ I ain’t a carin’ much how soon it comes; but I ain’t a goin’ to hurt nobody for nothin’ just because I can.”