A Farmer’s Life 
the lower ends from being loose to the wind, or 
exactly what he did with them at the ridge. 
Thin, patriarchal old man, weathered, crisp- 
bearded, plainly he took a pride (my companion 
drew attention to it) in his work, so neatly did 
he trim off the top when the ridge had been fixed. 
A scythe-blade cut down to about half its length 
made a formidable-looking tool for this job. I 
could not get to look at its handle; but 
It was fine to see how sharp the blade was, 
and how clean and true the old man did his 
cutting. 
He worked standing on a ladder, doing a patch 
from eaves to ridge as wide as he could reach 
before he moved the ladder; and when the time 
came for this he did not descend, but, getting 
to one side, turned the ladder over and over. 
This seemed to necessitate that the ladder should 
lie flat with the sloping top of the rick, and not 
make any angle with it either at eaves or ridge; 
and the circumstance seemed likely to be a 
consideration determining how high the rick 
should be; but I may be wrong. 
It was not possible to me to examine the 
‘spars ” that pegged the straw-wisps into place ; 
nor yet could I watch the making of the straw 
ropes with which the thatch was finally tied down. 
These had been got ready before my arrival. 
There were three ropes or “ bands ”’ on this rick ; 
104 
¢ 
