THE CALF 163 



my breath so as not to scare it, and the ladies 

 were in ecstasies. I did not hold my breath long, 

 however, for suddenly the animal, with the nat- 

 ural intent to increase the flow of milk, gave me 

 a terrific bunt with its nose, in which all the weight 

 of its body and all the convulsive power of its sud- 

 denly stiffened legs were expended. 



All the breath in my body was expelled with 

 such violence that I only regained it after a par- 

 oxysm of hoarse gasps and startling hawks, 

 which antics and involuntary inch-wormings, I 

 am sorry to say, entertained my callers far more 

 than the antics of the calf. 



When the calf was three weeks old, it had de- 

 veloped speed of a race-horse quality and fre- 

 quently dragged me about the premises with un- 

 paralleled swiftness, and at the end of a stout 

 rope. This was good exercise for both of us, 

 and kept down the increasing flesh of over- 

 maturity. 



One day, as I was coming from the office, I 

 saw the calf coming down the street from my 

 premises at a wild gallop, flinging up his heels 

 and dragging a long rope. I was not quick enough 

 to head him off, but with rare presence of mind 

 jumped with both feet on the rope as the animal 

 shot by me like a flash of lightning. When I lit 

 I was nearly a rod from the starting-place and 

 on my head and shoulders. People who saw me 



