174 A GARDEN OF PLEASURE 



ball of earth round his roots. The bell 

 goes for the men's dinner ; powdered all 

 over with brown mould they scramble up 

 and shake themselves, throw an old mat 

 over the roots, and depart for their hour of 

 rest. The men return refreshed, and set 

 to work again with a will; and now three tall 

 stout poles, the ends meeting at top in a 

 triangle, are set up and fixed, with ropes 

 and pulleys fastened to them. It may take 

 long to adjust all right, but at last the tree 

 swings high in the air, dangling from the 

 summit of the triangle. The excitement 

 of the moment grows intense. Two or 

 three men in the pit below steady and 

 guide the ascending mass ; four or five 

 pull the ropes with might and main. The 

 tree swings fair above the centre of a 

 trolley, wheeled up to the edge ready to 

 receive it. The Gardener holds on to the 

 strong shaft or handle of the trolley, his 

 eye fixed anxiously on the swaying tree, 

 encouraging the men, directing every 

 movement. The ropes are tight; the tree 

 is well up. * Now let go ! slacken the 

 ropes ! gently so ! ' Gently the tree is 



