His fine manners and handsome form and face captured the little village, most of whose inhabitants had come from Kentucky. They knew a gentleman when they saw him. They felt a touch of awe in his presence. Mr. Biggs claimed to have got his hurt by a fall from his horse, pride leading him to clothe the facts in prevarication. If the truth had been known Samson would have suffered a heavy loss of popularity in New Salem. A week after his arrival Ann Rutledge walked over to Jack Kelso's with him. Bim fled up the stick ladder as soon as they entered the door. Mr. Kelso was away on a fox hunt. Ann went to the ladder and called: "Bim, I saw you fly up that ladder. Come back down. Here's a right nice young man come to see you." "Is he good-looking?" Bim called. "Oh, purty as a picture, black eyes and hair and teeth like pearls, and tall and straight, and he's got a be-e-autiful little mustache." "That's enough!" Bim exclaimed. "I just wish there was a knot hole in this floor." "Come on down here," Ann urged. "I'm scared," was the answer. "His cheeks are as red as roses and he's got a lovely ring and big watch chain--pure gold and yaller as a dandelion. You come down here." "Stop," Bim answered. "I'll be down as soon as I can get on my best bib and tucker." She was singing _Sweet Nightingale_ as she began "to fix up," while Ann and Mr. Biggs were talking with Mrs. Kelso. "Ann," Bim called in a moment, "had I better put on my red dress or my blue?" "Yer blue, and be quick about it." "Don't you let him get away after all this trouble." "I won't." In a few minutes Bim called from the top of the ladder to Ann. The latter went and looked up at her. Both girls burst into peals of merry laughter. Bim had put on a suit of her father's old clothes and her buffalo skin whiskers and was a wild sight. "Don't you come down looking like that," said Ann. "I'll go up there and 'tend to you." Ann climbed the ladder and for a time there was much laughing and chattering in the little loft. By and by Ann came down. Bim hesitated, laughing, above the ladder for a moment, and presently followed in her best blue dress, against which the golden curls of her hair fell gracefully. With red cheeks and bright eyes, she was a glowing picture. Very timidly she gave her hand to Mr. Biggs. "It's just the right dress," he said. "It goes so well with your hair. I'm glad to see you. I have never seen a girl like you in my life." "If I knew how, I'd look different," said Bim. "I reckon I look cross. Cows have done it. Do you like cows?" "I hate cows--I've got a thousand cows and I see as little of them as possible," said he. "It is such a pleasure to hate cows!" Bim exclaimed. "There's nothing I enjoy so much." "Why?" Ann asked. "I am not sure, but I think it is because they give milk--such quantities of milk! Sometimes I lie awake at night hating cows. There are so many cows here it keeps me busy." "Bim has to milk a cow--that's the reason," said Ann.