82 THE PINE-TREE, OR 



has a flooring made of small poles laid closely together, and 

 hewed down with some degree of smoothness with the adz, and 

 in the final finish the crevices in the walls are plastered with clay 

 or ox manure. A temporary shed is thrown up in front, which 

 serves as a depot for hay and provender. 



No little pains are bestowed upon the conveniences designed 

 for the team. "With the exception of sporting horses, never have 

 I witnessed more untiring devotion to any creature than is be- 

 stowed upon the ox when under the care of a good teamster. 

 The last thing before " turning in," he lights his lantern and re- 

 pairs to the ox hovel. In the morning, by the peep of day, and 

 often before, his faithful visits are repeated to hay, and provender, 

 and card, and yoke up. No man's berth is so hard, among all the 

 hands, as the teamster's. Every shoe and nail, every hoof and 

 claw, and neck, yokes, chains, and sled, claim constant attention. 

 While the rest of the hands are sitting or lounging around the lib- 

 eral fire, shifting for their comfort, after exposure to the winter 

 frosts through the day, he must repeatedly go out to look after the 

 comfort of the sturdy, faithful ox. And then, for an hour or two 

 in the morning again, while all, save the cook, are closing up the 

 sweet and unbroken slumbers of the night, so welcome and nec- 

 essary to the laborer, he is out amid the early frost with, I had 

 almost said, the care of a mother, to see if " old Turk" is not 

 loose, whether " Bright" favors the near fore-foot (which felt a lit- 

 tle hot the day before), as he stands upon the hard floor, and then 

 to inspect " Swan's" provender-trough, to see if he has eaten his 

 meal, for it was carefully noted that at the "watering-place" 

 last night he drank but little ; while at the further end of the 

 " tie-up" he thinks he hears a little clattering noise, and present- 

 ly " little Star" is having his shins gently rapped, as a token of 

 his master's wish to raise his foot to see if some nail has not 

 given way in the loosened shoe ; and this not for once, but every 

 day, with numberless other cares connected with his charge. 



