34 THE STRIKE AT SHANE'S. 



*'0h, you have foolish uotious about such things, 

 an' yon and me will never agree on them pints," said 

 Shane. 



"It is true, nevertheless, that if you would give 

 your horses better care, and lighter work, you would 

 be the gainer in the end," said Mrs. Shane. 



"How can I help it," said Shane ; " here's only three 

 horses left on the farm, an' I've got to get all the work 

 I can out of 'em." 



"It was overwork that put Dobbin in the shape he is 

 now in," said Mrs. Shane. "If he had been properly 

 cared for, and not been given work he couldn't do, he 

 would have worked all summer." 



"Well, what's done can't be undone ; an' I've got to 

 get them horses on their feet again. Them foolish 

 notions of yours won't make any money on the farm ; 

 so there's no use discussin' 'em." 



"Time will show," was Mi-s. Shane's parting shot. 



Hodges soon arrived, and worked on the horses all 

 day, and at night they did not seem any better than 

 when he began. He said they were the most peculiar 

 and stubborn cases he had ever seen. Dick had sev- 

 eral quiet laughs at the expense of the other horses 

 because they had to take nasty medicine, while his 

 treatment was external. Hodges said he couldn't see 

 what was the matter with the horses, unless their con- 

 stitutions were entirely broken down by overwork. He 

 left in the evening with instructions that if the horses 

 were not better by morning to let him know. 



"Did you see that big flock of blackbirds down in 



