WHEN MARY WAS IN THE COUNTRY 183 



"But the best fun was roping hay." 



"Roping hay? " repeated Herr Trommel. 



"Don't you know thatf" asked Mary, in surprise. 



Herr Trommel shook his head. "I do not know it. 

 Tell me, Liebchen." 



"Well," began Mary, drawing a long breath, "Dor- 

 set is all hills. Part of the way up the mountain it 's 

 hay-field, and beyond that it 's cows. And it 's very 

 steep. You 'd think the cows would n't dare to 

 do anything but stand up j that as soon as they began 

 to sit down, they would roll right down the moun- 

 tainbut they don't. And almost every morning 

 there are big clouds sitting down behind the barn." 



"Perhaps they are caught on the top and roll 

 down as you think the cows might?" suggested Mr. 

 Trommel. 



"Perhaps," admitted Mary. 



"But how did you rope the hay ? " asked the old 

 gardener. 



"That 's what I 'm telling you about," said Mary. 

 "First you make windrows you know what wind- 

 rows are? When the grass is all cut with the mow- 

 ing-machine, then it 's hay. Then they take a horse- 

 rake and drive down, and the hay collects in the big 

 curved teeth ; and every once in a while the man 



