Fair Game 



gloom beneath a distant cedar, I heard, more 

 over, the sound of mellow, careless laughter and 

 saw the flutter of white skirt. 



Well, why not? Hay-making and love-mak- 

 ing went ever arm in arm together since tillage 

 first began. The work fared better for admiring 

 eyes that watched the prowess, for the snack 

 brought to the bars, for the cool drink offered as 

 excuse for dilly-dally and an hour's repose. 



In this field, however, love-making had the best 

 of it. At eve the shadows fell across a rippling 

 sea of green. And not for three days was the 

 summer idyling interrupted; were the culprits 

 caught. 



The first herald of disaster was a rap upon my 

 door. Had I seen Manuel? His master's eye 

 was humorously upon me. Not since early morn- 

 ing when we had passed the time of day. Where 

 was the fellow anyhow? I supposed he must 

 be knocking off for lunch. Knocking off from 

 what ? A contemptuous gesture took in the whole 

 upstanding field of grain. Still, soft-hearted 

 towards young romance, I did my best for the 



[191] 



