THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 179 



farmer can only recoup himself for losses by a judicious 

 ringing of changes. " Anyhow, I'll have a try if 1 lose 

 my place," as the old song says. 



And so to-morrow's the First ! and if I don't write 

 to-night, I know I shall never write again this week ; 

 but I'm so dull at present that I don't know which is 

 likely to be the less killing — midnight article or 

 October gun. 



" Now then, Jerusalem ! " as with horror I heard 

 myself, I thought, addressed by a dashing, young, 

 and most self-impressed Bobby, of A 1 area character 

 I doubt not, as I was sauntering down the paved walk 

 before a series of cattle-houses at a recent Shorthorn 

 sale, and looking over the half-doors at the occasional 

 animal within. However the address was not for me, 

 but for a white and most intelligent moke, who was 

 also sauntering down the walk (there being a scent of 

 hay at the far corner), and who at once, upon being 

 called to in this unceremonious way, put himself half 

 round into a repulsive position that astonished his 

 uniform acquaintance, and made the bold policeman 

 shrink closely to the opposite wall, being baulked 

 thereby of the cowardly poke he had intended with his 

 staff for the poor brute's unoffending ribs. A victory to 

 be scored for the donkey ! He was not for sale, or I 

 should have gladly picked up so shrewd a specimen for 

 the farm labours, which I learnt at Leicester can be so 

 successfully performed upon a farm by this, so often 

 abused, beast of burden. 



There is a small one — a most tiny specimen — in our 

 village, belonging to the native Vulcan, and which was 

 w^on by him in a raffle ; but for this one I feel ashamed 

 to offer any price that might tempt to the dissolution 



N 2 



