70 Next to the Ground 



account but more because of the birds. So 

 many had nested in it, June cutting would 

 have been tragic. They sang very little novif 

 — only a few broken notes before sunrise, 

 but whenever he heard the singing he won- 

 dered whether there would have been one to 

 sing if his father had not decided to wait 

 until old man Shack said the sign was right. 

 The sign came right in the very last week. 

 O but then there was ruthless work ! Ax, 

 bill-hook, brier scythe, flashed in and out, in 

 and out, and all the green growing things 

 toppled to a fall. They were cut level with 

 the ground and left to lie as they fell. The 

 growth was so thick there was no need of 

 piling. Green sedge and dry was matted 

 over every yard of earth the bushes had left 

 clear. The cutting was a tough job, but so 

 many hands were laid to it there was a fine 

 race betwixt cutters and fallowers as to which 

 should get done first. Dan had finished in 

 the pea ground and come over to Joe's help. 

 The land was by that time so big a dozen 

 ploughs might have run in it at once. Next 

 to the last day, they slipped out at daybreak, 

 and ploughed at night till moonrise, yet for 

 all that, had barely time to raise a triumphant 

 shout and head their teams for the bars, with 

 the ploughs jingling against the pebbles as 

 they dragged behind, before an answering 



