rassed of the two, and he wondered if
he ought to go to the rescue.
Then swiftly Doris collected her forces. "I suppose you know you are
trespassing?" she said.
At that Hugh laid himself very suddenly down again in the bottom of the
boat, and left her to fight her own battles.
The man on the bank looked down at his small assailant with a face of
grim decorum. "No, I didn't know," he said.
"Well, you are," said Doris. "All this ground is private property. You
can see for yourself. It's a cornfield."
The intruder's eyes travelled over the upstanding sheaves, passed
gravely over the man in the punt, and came back to the girl. "Yes; I
see," he said stolidly.
"Then don't you think you'd better go?" she said.
He put his hat on somewhat abruptly. "Yes. I think I had better," he
said, and with that he turned on his heel and walked away through the
stubble.
"Such impertinence!" said Doris, as she stepped down the bank to her
companion.
"It was rather," said Hugh.
She looked at him somewhat sharply. "I don't see that there is anything
to laugh at," she said.
"Don't you?" said Hugh.
"No. Why are you laughing?"
Hugh explained. "It only struck me as being a little funny that you
should order the man off his own ground in that cavalier fashion."
"Hugh!" Genuine dismay shone in the girl's eyes. "That wasn't--wasn't--"
"Jeff Ironside? Yes, it was," said Hugh. "I wonder you have never come
across him before. He works like a nigger."
"Hugh!" Doris collapsed upon the bank in sheer horror. "I have seen him
before--seen him several times. I thought he was just--a labourer--till
to-day."
"Oh, no," said Hugh. "He's just your hard, outdoor, wholesome farmer.
Fine animal, isn't he? Always reminds me of a prize bull."
"How frightful!" said Doris with a gasp. "It's the worst _faux pas_ I
have ever made."
"Cheer up!" said Hugh consolingly. "No doubt he was flattered by the
little attention. He took it very well."
"That doesn't make matters any better," said Doris. "I almost wish he
hadn't."
Whereupon Hugh laughed again. "Oh, don't wish that! I should think he
would be quite a nasty animal when roused. I shouldn't have cared to
fight him on your behalf. He could wipe the earth with me were he so
minded."
Doris's eyes, critical though not unkindly, rested upon him as he lay.
"Yes," she said thoughtfully, "I should almost think he could."
CHAPTER II
THE PLOUGHMAN
It was on a day six
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