l away!" he shouted; and round went the windlass, the cow, in the
meantime, making every effort to free herself, leaping and bounding,
throwing up her head and trying to shake off the rope. But all was in
vain. Sandy sounded his stock whip at her flanks, now and then giving
her a touch to remind her that it was at hand, until gradually she was
drawn up to the posts and her head securely fixed, when Sandy approached
with the milk-pail.

"I'm not going to trust you yet, my lady," he said, fastening her
hind-legs up on the side on which he was about to take his seat. This
done, he began the operation of milking. He had almost drawn as much as
he expected to obtain, when the cunning cow, finding that she could not
kick over the pail, came down on her side; and Sandy, with difficulty,
made his escape from under her with the loss of the contents of his
pail.

There were two other cows to be milked, which had been standing by
watching attentively the treatment received by their companion. Paul,
taking the rope, approached one of them. The creature seemed to have
made up her mind not to be milked, and as he drew near she whisked round
with wonderful rapidity, now and then making as if she would run at him;
but Paul was far too active to be caught. Suddenly her eyes fell on
Hector, who had been ashamed to leave the yard, although greatly longing
to do so. Putting down her head, with a loud bellow she rushed towards
him.

"Run for it! Spring on one side, and then make a bolt for the palings.
I'll help you over!" shouted Harry.

Hector, however, was too much frightened to follow the advice. Instead
of facing the cow and watching what she was about to do, he turned round
and ran across the slippery yard; before he got far, as might have been
expected, down he fell. The next instant the cow would have been upon
him, had not Paul, who had been following with the noose, succeeded
dexterously in slipping it over her horns, when the windlass being
turned rapidly round, she found herself brought up by a violent jerk.
In vain she endeavoured to get free. The hide rope which had caught her
was strong enough, as Sandy affirmed, "to hold a seventy-four," and she
was quickly, in spite of her bellowings and kickings, hauled up to "the
bail;" while Hector, much frightened and excessively angry at his
accident, picked himself up, and ran to the paling towards which Harry
was beckoning him.

Sandy took care on this occasion not