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And what must pies and beer be to the wanderer who had eaten the crust so greedily the day before! Then, after the hour's rest, the hay-makers rose up to rake the hay into beds ready for the waggons.
"O mamma," said Daisy, "it isn't the servants it's only the out-of-door people." "How many will there be, Daisy?" said her father; "have you numbered them up?" "Not yet, papa. There is Logan, and Michael, and Mr. Stilton, and the two under-gardeners " "And four hay-makers." "Hay-makers, papa?" "Yes there will be four of them in the fields next week. And there is the herdsman and boy."
A group of hay-makers lying idly upon the grass on the opposite bank are gossiping away the noon hour; a fisherman with pole and line is daintily sounding the shady nooks of the peaceful river; a few white swans glide gracefully in the shadow of the overhanging willows, while in the middle distance a flock of sheep nibble the rich green herbage.
"What party?" said Mrs. Gary. "Daisy's birthday entertainment." "Daisy invited all the gardeners and hay-makers to take supper and strawberries with her, Aunt Gary," said Ransom. "What is that?" said Mrs. Gary, looking to her sister. "Ransom has stated the matter correctly." "Gardeners and hay-makers! What was that for, Daisy?" "I thought it would give them pleasure, aunt Gary, " said Daisy.
That was a most enjoyable drive, the weather too hot and sunny, perhaps, for Albinia's preferences, but thoroughly penetrating, and giving energy to, her East-Indian husband, and making the whole country radiant with sunny beauty the waving hay-fields falling before the mower's scythe, the ranks of hay-makers tossing the fragrant grass, the growing corn softly waving in the summer breeze, the river blue with reflected sky, the hedges glowing with stately fox-gloves, or with blushing wreaths of eglantine.
His curiosity was chiefly about the strange lad; and when he was moved to his place by the window he turned his eyes anxiously to make him out in the line of hay-makers, two fields off, as they shook out the grass to give it the day's sunshine.
Uhl, who very deftly stabbed him high up on the hip for his carelessness; then the chief swung again, and Mr. Uhl was out of the fight. Not so the big coal passer, however. He planted in Terence Reardon's face as pretty a left and right hay-makers both as one could hope to see anywhere outside a prize-ring; whereupon the chief took the count with great abruptness.
With red blood on her face, a thorn and a rose in her bosom, and a hurt on her hand, she reached the chorus of rakers. The farmer and the sun are the leading actors, and the hay-makers are the chorus, who bear the burden of the play. Marching, each a step behind the other, and yet in a row, they presented a slanting front, and so crossed the field, turning the "wallows."
Gold and purple milkmaids are milking purple and golden cows. Young boys bind the ripened sheaves, or bear mugs of foaming cider to the busy hay-makers, with artistic defiance of chronology. There are ploughs and harrows, hoes and spades, beehives and poultry-houses, all in the best repair, and all resplendent in purple and gold. Alas! Ilium fuit.
Later on we found some corduroy bridges that the hay-makers had put over the ditches. All night we had not found anything to eat, and when we arrived at a wood near morning, we decided to stay, for we could see we were coming into a settlement, and the German farmers rise early in harvest-time. So, hungry, muddy, wet, and tired, we lay down in the wood, and spent a long, uncomfortable day!
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