er Fred had been initiated in the mysteries of churning and cheese
pressing, they all went into the orchard, and saw what a goodly promise
of apples there was, and then and there Mrs Benson promised them a
basketful, which she said she would send to them at the school. Then
into the garden, which seemed to be overflowing with fruit and
vegetables; and then into the farm-yard to see the fowls, cows, and
calves, and have a peep in at the great brindle bull, whose low
thundering bellow made the door vibrate and rattle upon its hinges, and
who turned round his great heavy, stupid-looking face to the full length
of his bright chain, and stared at his visitors as much as to say, "Did
you ever see such a great bull-headed thing before in all your life?"
He seemed to be anything but the great savage, roaring beast that Fred
had expected to see. But for all his dull look, this very bull could
fly into a passion sometimes when he was out in the fields, and stamp
and bellow and tear up the ground, making the sods fly in all
directions. He once charged at the cowman who was going to drive the
cows all up for milking, and as soon as the man saw him coming away he
ran for the gate, and after him came the bull, full tear. The more the
cowman ran the more the bull ran, till at last the gate was reached, and
over it went the poor fellow, in a half jump, half tumble sort of
fashion, and then away again on the other side; while the bull,
evidently considering the gate as unworthy of his notice, disdained to
try and leap, but went rush at it like a small railway train at a
crossing where the gates have been accidentally left open.

"Crash" went the gate, and "Bellow" went the bull, for it really hurt
him, as was testified by one of his horns being broken short off, making
the poor beast stop short, and stamp and bellow louder than ever; and,
giving up all thought of chasing the cowman, run tearing round the field
in a great clumsy gallop, frightening the cows till they all did the
same, with tails sticking straight up, and having plenty of difficulty
to get out of the poor bull's way, I say "_poor_" bull, for the animal
must have been suffering intense pain, though he deserved very little
pity, for there is no knowing what might have been the cowman's fate if
it had not been for the gate.

When the visitors stood looking at the great staring-eyed, one-horned
beast, the place was quite well, and but for the one-sided appearance
given t