A Bad Harvest 



as there is so much straw ; however, at the end 

 of the day we estimated that we had cut and 

 shocked ten acres, and felt well pleased, though 

 my arms fairly ached with the weight of those 

 sheaves. 



The weather became overcast, though it did not 

 actually rain or snow, and as we were now in 

 October, the season was too far advanced for 

 any more waiting, and it was necessary to push 

 on with the reaping as fast as possible. 



Steadily, day after day, we worked at the oats, 

 Jones driving the great binder most of the time, 

 though occasionally Andy took a round or so, 

 and once let me try a round ; and I realized, as I 

 had not hitherto done, that to drive a four-horse 

 team on one of these machines and keep the 

 machine going well demands both practice and 

 constant attention. 



In about ten days we had finished the oats ; 

 then there came a flurry of snow, covering the 

 ground and the tops of the shocks. It stopped 

 all operations for the time, and warned us of 

 the rapid approach of winter. 



At this juncture Tom turned up, having finished 

 the shocking of the wheat for his boss, and Jones 

 offered him two dollars a day for his help in 

 stacking if the weather permitted. 



In a couple of days the snow had disappeared 



