180 THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 



of a union such as exists between him and Vulcan 

 minor. This last youth is a great, strong, stout fellow, 

 whom it is a wonder to me that the oppressed animal 

 can draw at all, as he does notwithstanding, at a tearing 

 gallop up-hill and down-hill, and often with a load of 

 iron rods upon the cart, in addition to his human load. 

 The other day I employed him to convey my Abys- 

 sinian pump and tackle down to a meadow, where I 

 wished to try it. In getting there he missed the gate- 

 way, whereupon the lad jumped off, and, with a cheer 

 to his ally in the shafts, and a push at the cart-wheel, 

 sent the whole safely, but shaken, over a deep wide 

 ditch, with a steep bank on the further side, in a style 

 that I can only imagine equalled by Penn's artillery 

 when at Aldershot, as I heard from a brother-officer of 

 his. That gallant officer (whose intelligent daring 

 found at last fair scope in the late expedition against 

 Theodore) made his troop charge, and clear too, quite 

 sufficiently to render the feat a thorough success, a 

 fence that had made the cavalry draw rein. 



This village moke of ours is a household word with 

 our children ; for it will drink beer out of a cup at 

 young Vulcan's command, and will rest his fore-feet 

 upon his shoulders, looking him most sympathetically 

 in the face the meanwhile. It will also lie down when 

 he lays hold threateningly of its fore-legs. We all pet 

 it. I allow it the run of my hedge-rows. It has its 

 lodging in a pig-sty. It amuses me often. It seems 

 to reason so. 



I am 'reminded that my Norton's pump anived duly, 

 and we have had the greatest possible amusement in 

 trying all sorts of spots that we fancied likely to yield 

 water upon the farm. Unfortunately, above the house, 



