72 FARMING IT 



loudly, stiffened his tail, and broke into a lum- 

 bering gallop, dragging his mate, the plough, and 

 the ploughman in his wake. The plough, caught 

 by the nose, turned over, the ploughman, cling- 

 ing to the handles like a drowning man to a straw, 

 shot into the air like a catapult, turning a com- 

 plete somersault, while the oxen, racing across the 

 fields, brought up one on each side of an oak tree, 

 which stopped their mad flight. 



The yeoman showed more irritation over the 

 affair than I thought its importance warranted, 

 and said things that were calculated to pain one's 

 finer feelings. Indeed, he absolutely refused to 

 continue his engagement under any terms what- 

 ever, and to my great regret departed without 

 even saying good-by. And I had so wanted to 

 learn to drive oxen ! And now I might never get 

 another chance. It was too bad. 



