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After riding two days with the Doctor, Samson bought the claim of one Isaac Gollaher to a half section of land a little more than a mile from the western end of the village. He chose a site for his house on the edge of an open prairie.

“Now we’ll go over and see Abe,” said Dr. Allen, after the deal was made. “He’s the best man with an ax and a saw in this part of the country. He clerks for Mr. Offut. Abe Lincoln is one of the best fellows that ever lived–a rough diamond just out of the great mine of the West, that only needs to be cut and polished.”

Denton Offut’s store was a small log structure about twenty by twenty which stood near the brow of the hill east of Rutledge’s Tavern. When they entered it Abe lay at full length on the counter, his head resting on a bolt of blue denim as he studied a book in his hand. He wore the same shirt and one suspender and linsey trousers which he had worn in the dooryard of the tavern, but his feet were covered only by his blue yarn socks.

Abe laid aside his book and rose to a sitting posture.

“Mr. Traylor,” said Doctor Allen, “has just acquired an interest in all our institutions. He has bought the Gollaher tract and is going to build a house and some fences. Abe, couldn’t you help get the timber out in a hurry so we can have a raising within a week? You know the art of the ax better than any of us.”

Abe looked at Samson.

“I reckon he and I would make a good team with the ax,” he said. “He looks as if he could push a house down with one hand and build it up with the other. You can bet I’ll be glad to help in any way I can.”

Next morning at daylight two parties went out in the woods to cut timber for the home of the newcomers. In one party were Harry Needles carrying two axes and a well-filled luncheon pail; Samson with a saw in his hand and the boy Joe on his back; Abe with saw and ax and a small jug of root beer and a book tied in a big red handkerchief and slung around his neck. When they reached the woods Abe cut a pole for the small boy and carried him on his shoulder to the creek and said:

“Now you sit down here and keep order in this little frog city. If you hear a frog say anything improper you fetch him a whack. Don’t allow any nonsense. We’ll make you Mayor of Frog City.”

The men fell to with axes and saws while Harry limbed the logs and looked after the Mayor. Their huge muscles flung the sharp axes into the timber and gnawed through it with a saw. Many big trees fell before noontime when they stopped for luncheon. While they were eating Abe said:

“I reckon we better saw out a few boards this afternoon. Need ’em for the doors. We’ll tote a couple of logs up on the side o’ that knoll, put ’em on skids an’ whip ’em up into boards with the saw.”

Samson took hold of the middle of one of the logs and raised it from the ground.

“I guess we can carry ’em,” he said.

“Can ye shoulder it?” Abe asked.

“Easy,” said Samson as he raised an end of the log, stepped beneath it and, resting its weight on his back, soon got his shoulder near its center and swung it clear of the ground and walked with it to the knollside where he let it fall with a resounding thump that shook the ground. Abe stopped eating and watched every move in this remarkable performance. The ease with which the big Vermonter had so defied the law of gravitation with that unwieldly stick amazed him.