em to the bank of a
small river where in the spring they could be floated down to Lurvey's
Mills. For hauling the logs he had two yokes of oxen, the yoke of large
eight-year-olds that I have already described, and another yoke of
small, white-faced cattle. During the first winter the off ox of the
smaller pair stepped into a hole between two roots, broke its leg and
had to be killed. Afterwards Jotham worked the nigh ox in a crooked yoke
in front of his larger oxen and went on with the job from December until
March.

But, as all teamsters know, oxen that are worked hard all day in winter
weather require corn meal or other equally nourishing provender in
addition to hay. Now, Jotham had nothing for his team except hay of
inferior quality. In consequence, as the winter advanced the cattle lost
flesh and became very weak. By March they could scarcely walk with their
loads, and at last there came a morning when Jotham could not get the
older oxen even to rise to their feet. He was obliged to give up work
with them, and finally came home after turning them loose to help
themselves to what hay was left at the camp.

The old Squire did not often concern himself with the affairs of his
neighbors, but he went up to the logging camp with Jotham; and when he
saw the pitiful condition the cattle were in he remonstrated with him.

"This is too bad," he said. "You have worked these oxen nearly to death,
and you haven't half fed them!"

"Wal, my oxen don't have to work any harder than I do!" Jotham replied
angrily. "I ain't able to buy corn for them. They must work without it."

"You only lose by such a foolish course," the old Squire said to him.

But Jotham was not a man who could easily be convinced of his errors.
All his affairs were going badly; arguing with him only made him
impatient.

The snow was now so soft that the oxen in their emaciated and weakened
condition could not be driven home, and again Jotham left them at the
camp to help themselves to fodder. He promised, however, to send better
hay and some potatoes up to them the next day. But during the following
night a great storm set in that carried off nearly all the snow and
caused such a freshet in the streams and the brooks that it was
impracticable to reach the camp for a week or longer. Then one night the
small, white-faced ox made his appearance at the Edwards barn, having
come home of his own accord.

The next morning Jotham went up on foot to see how his