them
into the barn-yard. From the barn-yard they entered the barn itself, by
a small door near one corner.

There were two great doors in the middle of the barn, made so large
that, when they were opened, there was space enough for a large load of
hay to go in. Opposite these doors there was a space floored over with
plank, pretty wide, and extending through the barn to the back side.
This was called the barn floor. On one side was a place divided off for
stables for the horses, and on the other side was the _tie-up_, a place
for the oxen and cows. There was also the bay, and the lofts for hay and
grain; and at the end of the tie-up there was a door leading into a
calf-pen, and thence, by a passage behind the calf-pen, to a work-shop
and shed. The small door where the boys came in, led to a long and
narrow passage, between the tie-up and the bay.

They walked along, Jonas going before with his lantern in his hand. The
cattle which had lain down, began to get up, and the horses neighed in
their stalls; for the shining of the lantern in the barn was the
well-known signal which called them to breakfast.

Jonas clambered up by a long ladder to the hay-loft, to pitch down some
hay, and Josey and Oliver followed him; while Amos remained below to
"feed out" the hay, as he called it, as fast as they pitched it down. It
was pretty dark upon the loft, although the lantern shed a feeble light
upon the rafters above.

"Boys," said Jonas, "it is dangerous for you to be up here; I'd rather
you'd go down."

"Well," said Oliver, and he began to descend.

"Why?" said Josey; "I don't think there's any danger."

"Yes," said Jonas, "a pitchfork wound is worse than almost any other. It
is what they call a _punctured_ wound."

"What kind of a wound is that?" said Josey.

"I'll tell you some other time," said Jonas. "But don't stay up here. You
don't obey so well as Oliver. Go down and give the old General some
hay."

The old General was the name of a large white horse, quite old and
steady, but of great strength. When he was younger, he belonged to a
general, who used to ride him upon the parade, and this was the origin
of his name.

Josey, at this proposal, made haste down the ladder, and began to put
some hay over into the old General's crib. He then went round into the
General's stall, and, patting him upon the neck, he asked him if his
breakfast was good.

In the mean time, Oliver opened the great barn doors, and, taking