IN THE PASTURE 3 



to every season when the wind began to blow cold " ; 

 and the INleadowlark flew to the top rail of the fence, 

 boldly showing his j^ellow breast, and giving a note or 

 two to tell how trustful he was. 



" Where have j'ou been all summer ? " asked Comet, 

 the young trotter, of the big brown farm horses, who 

 had come to drink at the spring in. the pasture below 

 the barns. " It is so long since I have seen you I was 

 afraid that you had been sold." 



" Oh no, youngster ! " replied Tom. " Jerry and I 

 have only been summering up at the wood lots at the 

 far end of the farm. We had our shoes off all the 

 time, and could amuse ourselves as we liked. We 

 never saw a harness or wagon ; all the work we did 

 was to roll in the grass or wade in the river to keep 

 the flies off. The grazing up there was simply deli- 

 cious, you know, — all sorts of relishing little bits of 

 herbs mixed in with the grass. 



" Now that we have had our rest, it is our turn to 

 work, and gray Bess and Billy have gone to the pad- 

 dock, and we have come to take their places. There is 

 plenty to do on this farm in fall and winter, though 

 it is very lonely. I can remember, when I was a four- 

 year-old, that House People lived in the big barn with 

 all the windows, and they used to ride over the snow 

 in the low wjigon without wheels, and we all had fine 

 times together." 



" There are fine times here now," said Comet, shak- 

 ing his mane importantly; "but of course you do not 

 know about them, because you have been away. House 

 People are living here again. We all liave great fun 

 and the best of eating, with more picnics than plough- 



