But the ox moved restlessly at the moment and the girl put her hand
apprehensively behind herself and backed away. The old man on the wagon
grinned. "They won't hurt you," he told her.

"They won't bite, will they?" she asked, casting a glance of inquiry at
the old man and then turning her eyes again upon the fascinating
animals.

"No," said the old man, still grinning, "just as gentle as kittens."

She approached them circuitously. "Sure?" she said.

"Sure," replied the old man. He climbed from the wagon and came to the
heads of the oxen. With him as an ally, she finally succeeded in patting
the nose of the nearest ox. "Aren't they solemn, kind old fellows? Don't
you get to think a great deal of them?"

"Well, they're kind of aggravating beasts sometimes," he said. "But
they're a good yoke--a good yoke. They can haul with anything in this
region."

"It doesn't make them so terribly tired, does it?" she said hopefully.
"They are such strong animals."

"No-o-o," he said. "I dunno. I never thought much about it."

With their heads close together they became so absorbed in their
conversation that they seemed to forget the painter. He sat on a log and
watched them.

Ultimately the girl said, "Won't you give us a ride?"

"Sure," said the old man. "Come on, and I'll help you up." He assisted
her very painstakingly to the old board that usually served him as a
seat, and he clambered to a place beside her. "Come on, William," he
called. The painter climbed into the wagon and stood behind his father,
putting his hand on the old man's shoulder to preserve his balance.

"Which is the near ox?" asked the girl with a serious frown.

"Git-ap! Haw! That one there," said the old man.

"And this one is the off ox?"

"Yep."

"Well, suppose you sat here where I do; would this one be the near ox
and that one the off ox, then?"

"Nope. Be just same."

"Then the near ox isn't always the nearest one to a person, at all? That
ox there is always the near ox?"

"Yep, always. 'Cause when you drive 'em a-foot you always walk on the
left side."

"Well, I never knew that before."

After studying them in silence for a while, she said, "Do you think they
are happy?"

"I dunno," said the old man. "I never thought." As the wagon creaked on
they gravely discussed this problem, contemplating profoundly the backs
of the animals. Hawker gazed in silence at the meditating two before
him. Under the wagon Stanley, the setter, walke