44 FRI'IT R.WCIIING. 



animal, rearing herself on her hind legs, would pop 

 her fore feet over the log, then lift her hind feet — if 

 not gracefully, at all events cleverly — and over she 

 would go. And all the rest of the herd were equally 

 clever at threading their way through the under- 

 growth of the forest and over the fallen trees, which 

 in places encumbered it. 



One Sunday morning, when I was lying down 

 resting, after the strenuous toil of the week, engrossed 

 in a light book, I was aroused by hearing Leslie cry 

 " Father! Father 1 " 



"Yes; what is it?" I answered. 



" The cows are at the gunpowder! " 



I hurried out, fearing the beasts would cause a 

 concussion with their hoofs and blow themselves into 

 mincemeat, for it was dynamite, or rather powerful 

 blasting powder, with a large proportion of dynamite 

 in it, into which the cows were poking their inquisi- 

 tive noses. 



The boxes containing the dynamite had been 

 placed in a hole dug out of the face of the slope lead- 

 ing up to the bench-land, and it was there, sure 

 enough, that the animals of " Our herd " were hold- 

 ing conclave. I hurried off at once up the hill. 



Nothing happened. The animals were evidently 

 digesting dynamite with the greatest gusto. Nor, 

 so far as we were able to detect, did any of the cows 

 suffer any ill effects from this banquet of peril. All 

 the same, dynamite was far too expensive a luxury to 

 regale the pampered appetites of cows upon. I after- 

 wards had it properly protected with beams and 

 planking. 



I was told later that cattle have a penchant for 



