The new-comer went slowly up the ladder, looked at my work, and then
took out a small knife with a flat ivory handle, came down again,
stropped the knife on his boot, went up, and pared my stump just round
the edge, taking off a very thin smooth piece of bark.
"Good!" he said as he wiped his knife, came down, and put the knife
away; "but your knife wanted a touch on a bit o' Turkey-stone. How are
you, Ezra?"
Old Brownsmith set down some cats gently, got up off the bushel basket
slowly, and shook hands.
"Fairly, Solomon, fairly; and how are you?"
"Tidy," said the visitor, "tidy;" and he stared very hard at me. "This
is him, is it?"
"Yes, this is he, Solomon. Grant, my lad, this is my brother Solomon."