THE CHANGING YEAR 181 



his fellows were almost identical with those in 

 vogue a hundred years before. The scythe with 

 its curved " cradle " had not yet given place to 

 the reaping and binding machine ; Twm, with 

 clean swinging stroke, began his work on the 

 margin of the field, then, behind him and on his 

 right, the next labourer stepped into place, and 

 after him his fellow, till the slanting line of reapers 

 was complete, and the stalwart toilers advanced 

 in order towards the further edge. 



Thenceforth, for a week, the harvesters came 

 daily to their task as soon as the sun had dried the 

 dew on the corn. At first the partridges, when 

 they heard human voices on the edge of the oat- 

 field, and the frequent swishing sound made by 

 the men in sharpening their blades with greased 

 and sanded wedges of wood, were more curious 

 than alarmed. But as, at intervals, the noises 

 continued, the birds gradually retired, crossed 

 the hedge, and wandered leisurely into the 

 furrows among the cool green turnip leaves. In 

 the evening, as was their wont, they returned 

 to the oatfield. The labourers had well-nigh 

 finished the work of the day ; only a few swathes 

 remained uncut beside the hedge. In alarm, 

 the partridges returned to the turnips, then, by 

 easy stages, made their way to the shelter of the 

 barley at the lower end of the green crop, where, 

 unmolested, they fed and slept within little arch- 



