THE LAND AND THE MAN 289 



^' Didn't I tell you to keep Kitty in the furrow ? 

 Try to say ' Furrow, Kitty ' ; she will keep to 



It." 



" The fellow didn't teach you that," he answered. 

 " Boys Alive ! I guess I know more about ploughing 

 than any woman." 



" If you dare to answer me again," I said, " I 

 will immediately send you back to Sergeant Dubuque. 

 And now you can get on the plough, and make the 

 best of your difficulties without my help." 



" No offence ! No offence ! " he insisted. " Only 

 I guess I know all about a plough." 



In the course of an hour he had caught on to the 

 principle, and, although slow does not describe the 

 pace, had I governed my ploughing after the moral 

 of the fable I should probably have come through 

 that season's work with the triumph of the tortoise. 

 Adam loved his new accomplishment. I yelled 

 myself hoarse over calling him in to dinner, and 

 actually voiceless in calling him for supper ; and in 

 the end I had to walk across by the last glow of 

 sunset to induce him to unhitch. During the day 

 his work had steadily improved, and although he 

 had accomplished no more than Roddy McMahon 

 would have got through in half a day, it was carefully 

 done with no untrimmed patches, and neat, with 

 most respectable turns. The horses, too, in spite 

 of their long day were cool and comfortable, without 

 any trace of fatigue. I slept with a lightened 

 heart, but the self-satisfaction of Adam in the 

 knowledge of his increasing experience and power 

 found vent in a freedom of habit which I couldn't 

 endure. 



" Adam," I said one day, at the end of my tether, 



T 



