cow TROUBLES 



had been fooled she would drop the ball. But when 

 I went out to the gate to let in the cows I found 

 "Beans," granddaughter of old Fenceviewer, with 

 her head and neck stretched out, doing her best to 

 chew and swallow something that was stuck in her 

 throat. She was half choked, for her eyes were pop- 

 ping out, and she was red in the face or at least 

 had the same expression that a human being has 

 when red in the face. With my customary presence 

 of mind I rushed to her side and began to slap her on 

 the back the same as we do to the children 

 when they choke on something or when some- 

 thing "goes down the wrong way," But it did 

 no good, and the slapping made her bolt to her stall 

 in the stable, I immediately began to feel her throat, 

 and was not long in discovering a lump that seemed 

 about the size of the missing rubber ball. I then 

 followed my usual practice when in real trouble. I 



sent for a neighbour. 



* * * * 



By the time my neighbour had arived the cow had 

 stopped her frantic swallowing, and I had become 

 suspicious that the lump I had been feeling in her 

 throat was not a lodged rubber ball, but the end of 

 her wind-pipe. My neighbour confirmed this suspi- 



37 



