128 NOTES ON FIELDS AND CATTLE. 



gone that he had robbed the nest of the turkey that 

 was sitting in the fence ? " — " I do, sir," imper- 

 turbably replied my old and valued antagonist. 

 " Well, Fletcher, that very next Christmas (that is, 

 the last), when I went up to town to get my eye in 

 at the Baker Street Show, after due consideration I 

 invested in a machine." — "A machine, sir? It'll 

 never answer here, you take my word for it." " Well, 

 Fletcher, if I needed the assistance, I should like 

 always to have a name as satisfactory as yours to 

 back my bills, but in this particular instance I think 

 you are off your score." — " You take my word for it, 

 sir, Fred and I and Grubney would have it down in 

 no time ; long before the machine." And a look of 

 self-reliance, not unmixed with something of con- 

 tempt, passed athwart the brave man's mien. " How- 

 ever, Fletcher, it's all up. I ordered it, and it's at 

 the station now, so you must send for it to-morrow 

 morning." — "Well, sir, I hope it'll answer as you've 

 got it, but it can never stand against the scythe, you 

 may take my word for it," he replied, with a tone of 

 resignation, and seemed bent on moving on. " I 

 know you do, Fletcher, and if all the men one meets 

 with were but the tenth part as good as you, one 

 might be inclined to see the machines at Hong- 

 Kong. But as all, unhappily, are not as you, but 

 rather the reverse, and we cannot afford to lose the 

 season continually, I must fall back upon this arti- 

 ficial help." 



The machine was fetched the next day, and a 

 paper, with full printed particulars, having come by 

 post, I thought to have unpacked and put it together 



