"Because," said Rollo, "I can call out for him, in a moment, in the yard, and then if he is any where within hearing, he answers; and so I know where he is. But it would take me some time to go to all the places that are within hearing." "True," said his mother, "I see it is more trouble to find any body with your eyes, than with your voice; but then it is so much pleasanter for all the rest of us, that you must submit to it." So Rollo went away again to look for Jonas. He inquired of Dorothy in the kitchen, and she told him that she saw Jonas going out towards the barn a few minutes before. So Rollo went off in pursuit of him. He found him at work in a little back room in the barn, looking over some harnesses. "What are you doing, Jonas?" said Rollo. "I am overhauling these harnesses, to get them all ready for winter." "For winter?" said Rollo. "Yes," replied Jonas; "they are sleigh-harnesses." "Well, Jonas," said Rollo, "I wanted to see you about a beetle and wedge. Do you think you could help me about making a little beetle and wedge?" "I can help you by my _advice_," said Jonas. "O, but I want you to help me _make_ them." Then Jonas asked Rollo what made him think of a beetle and wedge; and Rollo told him of the conversation he had held with the farmer's boy. Then Jonas talked a long time about it, giving him particular advice and direction about the plan, though he said he could not himself go and help him then, for he could not leave his harnesses. The advice which Jonas gave him was, substantially, this:-- "The boy was right in what he said about the necessity of having iron wedges, to split up large logs of hard wood; but you had better have short pieces of pine boards for your logs, and then wedges of hard wood will do instead of iron; for hard wood is so much more solid than pine, that I think wedges of it will answer very well. There are some pieces of walnut under the bench, which will do finely, and I will give you one of them." "I'll go, now, and get it," said Rollo. "No," said Jonas, "not yet; let me tell you about making the beetle." So Rollo stood in the door way, waiting to hear what Jonas had to say about the beetle, but evidently quite impatient to go. "If you make your wedges of hard wood, it will not be necessary to have iron rings to your beetle, because it will not get battered much, in driving wooden wedges. Now you must go to the wood pile, and look out a piece of round wood, about as large round as my arm, and bore a hole in it." "A hole in it!" said Rollo. "Yes, a small auger hole, to put the handle into. Then you must put the wood into the saw-horse, and saw off the ends, at a little distance from the hole, so that, when the handle is put in, it will be like a mallet." "A mallet!" said Rollo. "But I wanted a beetle." "Well, a mallet is a small beetle, without rings." "Is it?" said Rollo, thoughtfully.