armer," cried Mr. Royden, coming out with
his swath, and shouldering his scythe.

"Yes," said Father Brighthopes, cheerily; "I ought to, at least, for I
was bred a farmer's boy, and now I _am old_, sure enough."

"Well, I would advise you to take it easy."

"I mean to; risk me for that!"

"But there is danger of your hurting yourself before you think of it,"
said the careful farmer.

The clergyman thanked him for the kind warning, and stopped to pick some
berries in the corner of the fence. Mr. Royden waited for the other
mowers to get out.

"Chester," said he, "you don't point out well. Carry your scythe a
little lower as you bring it around. There! You will make a famous
mower, with practice," he added, encouragingly. "Don't try to cut too
wide a swath."

At that moment James was heard to utter a loud shout, and, looking up,
Mr. Royden saw him running at full speed towards the pasture fence.

"What is the matter?"

"That confounded mischievous colt!" cried James.

"I declare!" exclaimed Mr. Royden, suddenly, "that cunning brute has got
hold of your coat, Father Brighthopes!"

"Ha!" said the clergyman. "My coat? That will never do, at all. Where is
the little rascal?"

"Don't chase him, James!" cried Mr. Royden. "You will only make the
matter worse."

But James did not hear. The colt, with the clergyman's coat between his
teeth, was capering over the hill. James ran after him, throwing
pebble-stones and shouting, while the hired laborers leaned their great
strong arms upon the fence, and laughed broadly at the fun.

"What a playful animal!" exclaimed Father Brighthopes, laughing as
heartily as any. "He thinks he is doing a wonderfully pretty trick."

Suddenly the colt stopped, dropped the garment, and, looking round at
James, whom he had distanced by some twenty rods, darted from the top of
the hill. This was not all. While the youth ran panting up the
acclivity, he returned to the coat, and began to tear it with his teeth
and fore-feet; but James put an end to that fun, by sending a well-aimed
stone to the very center of his neck, upon which the mischievous animal
snatched up the garment again, and went galloping off with it to the
further extremity of the field.

Mr. Royden, Chester and one of the hired men, had to go to the
assistance of James, and drive the colt into a corner, before the booty
could be recovered. When it was finally seized by Chester from under his
very feet, it was not worth m