THE LAND AND THE MAN 295 



and I think only white labour was employed for 

 this. 



" My work has been entirely on the land," Mr. 

 Oliver explained. " I might begin a little breaking 

 to-morrow with the two horses, as I really don't 

 seem to make much headway with this kind of thing." 



Adam was looking on, first at the fence and then 

 at the fence-maker, his hands in his pockets, and 

 there was no mistaking the look in his eyes for 

 disappointment or sympathy. 



The next day Mr. Oliver attacked a patch of 

 scrub-like land just outside the garden fence. It 

 wasn't exactly successful, but I knew it must be 

 difhcult to accomplish with just Dick and Nancy to 

 pull the plough, to say nothing of an ancient 

 rubbish heap en route, which kept guard over a pot 

 and pan pit at its side, and which I should think 

 had been in use a dozen years. But in the evening 

 my brother and the team returned. 



" Boys Alive ! Lai. Seen his fence ? " I heard 

 Adam inquire of my brother. 



" Whose fence ? " 



" The other green Englishman's." 



" Look here, Adam," was the wrathful reply. " I 

 never hit a chap beneath my own size, but if I ever 

 hear that word ' green Englishman ' from you again 

 I'll give you a bath in the slough." 



" Boys Alive ! No offence ! An' I guess I'm so 

 clean as any man on the land come Sundays, though 

 I don't go in for style." 



" Ah ! and you can kill a pig can't you ? " 



" Boys Alive ! So well as any green " 



My brother drew just a little nearer. 



" Say it, Adam, say it, and back you come to 



