"The very thing, daddy!" shouted Sandy, clapping his hands. "Only don't you think that's a very long name to say in a hurry? Whittier would be shorter, you know. But, then," he added, doubtfully, "it isn't everybody that would know which Whittier was meant by that, would they?" "Sandy seems to think that the entire population of Kansas will be coming here, some day, to read that name, if we ever have it. We have been here two months now, and no living soul but ourselves and Younkins has ever been in these diggings; not one. Oh, I say, let's put up just nothing but 'Whittier' over the door there. We'll know what that means, and if anybody comes in the course of time, I'll warrant he'll soon find out which Whittier it means." This was Oscar's view of the case. "Good for you, Oscar!" said his uncle. "Whittier let it be." Before sundown, that day, a straight-grained shake of pine, free from knot or blemish, had been well smoothed down with the draw-shave, and on its fair surface, writ large, was the beloved name of the New England poet, thus: WHITTIER. This was fastened securely over the entrance of the new log-cabin, and the Boy Settlers, satisfied with their work, stood off at a little distance and gave it three cheers. The new home was named. CHAPTER XIII. LOST! "We must have some board-nails and some lead," remarked Uncle Aleck, one fine morning, as the party were putting the finishing touches to the Whittier cabin. "Who will go down to the post and get them?" "I", "I", "I", shouted all three of the boys at once. "Oh, you will all go, will you?" said he, with a smile. "Well, you can't all go, for we can borrow only one horse, and it's ten miles down there and ten miles back; and you will none of you care to walk, I am very sure." The boys looked at each other and laughed. Who should be the lucky one to take that delightful horseback ride down to the post, as Fort Riley was called, and get a glimpse of civilization? "I'll tell you what we'll do," said Sandy, after some good-natured discussion. "Let's draw cuts to see who shall go. Here they are. You draw first, Charlie, you being the eldest man. Now, then, Oscar. Why, hooray! it's my cut! I've drawn the longest, and so I am to go. Oh, it was a fair and square deal, daddy," he added, seeing his father look sharply at him.