he gates and into the
barn-lot, and the driver cracked his whip and cried, "You Buck! You
Berry! Gee! Haw! Whoa!" till one was ready to wonder that the bewildered
animals did anything right. At last the engine was in the desired
position, and the oxen were released from their yoke, to stand with
panting sides in the shade of the barn. Then the threshing-machine was
stationed in its place, and the broad band put on which connected it
with the engine. In the mean time, those whose duty it was to haul water
from the creek had brought three or four barrelfuls to the boiler, fire
had been built in the engine, and the engineer "got up steam." Two
wagons were off to the field, where the wheat still stood in shocks, and
as soon as they returned, piled high with yellow sheaves, the work began
in earnest. Two men--cutters and feeders, as they were called--received
the sheaves tossed to them from the wagons, cut the withes of straw
which bound them, and pushed them evenly into the thresher. Farmer Loper
himself and one of his sons stood at the place where the grain ran out,
and as fast as one bushel-measure was filled another one was set in its
place and the wheat poured into a sack. When a sack was full it was tied
up and set back out of the way. Other laborers stood at the back part of
the thresher, where the straw came out, and, with pitch-forks in hand,
tossed it about until the foundation for a stack was formed. Then they
stood on the stack, rising higher as it rose, trampling the straw and
pitching it into place. The chaff and dust flew upon them until their
faces, their hat-brims, and the shoulders of their colored shirts were
covered, and the perspiration streamed from every pore. No wonder that
the wives and mothers of these farmers dreaded the wash-days after a
week of threshing. There was noise and excitement enough in connection
with the dust and work,--the puffing of the engine, the whir and shake
and rattle of the threshing-machine, and the raised voices of the men
calling to each other or giving orders. The engineer and the feeders and
cutters were conceded to have the most responsible positions, but the
duties of the other workers were also important. There must be water for
the boiler, and the wheat must be brought from the field fast enough to
keep a constant supply on hand, the straw must be stacked well, and the
grain accurately measured. At exactly twelve o'clock the engineer blew a
long loud whistle, the band w