332 WHEAT AND WOMAN 



and was reaping the twenty-live-acre field. I was 

 rather thankful to be out of his watchful and some- 

 what disapproving eye. The monotony of stooking 

 ceased to bother me after my first season, but it is 

 rather exhausting physically, and that year excep- 

 tionally so, owing to the bulk of the sheaves being 

 green and in consequence very heavy to lift and 

 difficult to place. I hadn't finished six acres when 

 I had to leave to prepare supper, but I returned 

 and completed the field by moonlight, and walking 

 home round twenty-five, stooked the rows of fallen 

 sheaves that lay in the way, and felt that I had 

 considerably lightened the task of to-morrow. 



On Tuesday the same programme exactly. 

 On Wednesday afternoon twenty-five was nearly 

 down when the binder came sharply against a stone 

 and snapped a small but most important member. 

 " I'll get into town for the repair right now," 

 said Si Booth, " but it's vexing, and all going so well. 

 I guess I'll bring back a stooker if I can find one." 



" Perhaps it would be as well," I allowed, 

 " although I have enjoyed it immensely so far. 

 But you are getting rather far ahead, aren't you ? 

 Still, I shall pick up this afternoon." 



I worked east and west along the rows of the 

 twenty-five-acre field until the stars came out. It 

 wasn't possible to finish, but as I was alone at least 

 there was no supper to get. I could milk and go 

 at once to bed. As I walked across the pasture 

 bitterness threatened me ; I was deadly tired, 

 the sheaves had been greener and heavier than usual, 

 and it seemed to me hopelessly unripe. I came 

 within an ace of the suffocating conviction of utter 

 failure when suddenly out of the dusk came a friendly 



