THE FARM SUNDAY 71 



I watched them go back up the road. At 

 the big farm gate the cow made a break for the 

 barnyard again, but the two men managed to 

 turn her. Just beyond, at the fork in the road, 

 I saw Bill turn down towards the cider-mill, 

 while Jonathan kept on with his convoy over 

 the hill. I glanced at the clock. It was not 

 yet nine. There was plenty of time, of course. 



At half-past nine I went downstairs again, 

 and wandered out toward the big gate. It 

 seemed to me time for Jonathan to be back. 

 In the Sunday hush I thought I heard sounds 

 of distant &quot;hi-ing.&quot; They grew louder; yes, 

 surely, there was the cow, just appearing over 

 the hill and trotting briskly along the road 

 towards home. And there was Jonathan, also 

 trotting briskly. He looked red and warm. 

 I stepped out into the road to keep the cow 

 from going past, but there was no need. She 

 swung cheerfully in at the big gate, and fell to 

 cropping the long grass just inside the fence. 



Jonathan slowed down beside me, and, 

 pulling out his handkerchief, began flapping 

 the dust off his trousers while he explained : 



You see, I got her down there all right, 

 but I had to let down the bars, and while I 



