tly. He planted his feet firmly and
grasped the handle! Round he swung it, around and around. Only the
bellowing of the cows answered. He began again. Round he swung the
handle; around and around. "Chug, chug-a-chug, chug, chug, chug-a-chug,
chug," answered the engine. Nancy jumped with delight. "You're as good
as a man, Eben," she cried.

"Come now, bring the lantern," commanded Eben. Nancy carried the lantern
and Eben a rubber tube. This tube Eben fastened on to the first faucet
on the long pipe between the first two cows. This rubber tube branched
into two and at the end of each were four hollow rubber fingers. Eben
stuck his fingers down one. He could feel the air pull, pull, pull.
"She's working all right, Nancy," he whispered in a shaking voice. "Put
the pail here." Nancy obeyed. Eben took one bunch of four hollow rubber
fingers and slipped one finger up each udder of one cow. Then he took
the other bunch and slipped one finger up each udder of the second cow.
The cows, feeling relief was near, quieted at once. "I can see the
milk," screamed Nancy, watching a tiny glass window in the rubber tube.
And sure enough, through the tube and out into the pail came a pulsing
stream of milk. Squirt, squirt, squirt, squirt. In a few minutes the two
cows were milked and the children moved on to the next pair. Nancy
carried the pail and Eben the rubber tube which he fastened on to the
next faucet. And in another few minutes two more cows were milked. So
the children went the length of the great red barn, and gradually the
restless lowings quieted as pail after pail was filled with warm white
milk.

"I wouldn't try the separator if it weren't for the poor Little
Sisters," said Eben anxiously as they reached the end of the barn.
"They've got to be fed," said Nancy. "But I can't lift those pails."
Slowly Eben carried them one by one with many rests back to the
separator by the gasoline engine. He took the strap off one wheel and
put it around the wheel of the separator. "I can't lift a whole pail,"
sighed Eben. Taking a little at a time he poured the milk into the tray
at the top of the separator. In a few minutes the yellow cream came
pouring out of one spout and the blue skimmed milk out of another. In
another few minutes the calves were drinking the warm skimmed milk.
"There, Little Sisters, poor, hungry Little Sisters," said Nancy, as
she watched their eager pink tongues.

Eben turned off the engine. "I'm sorry I couldn't