before Rolf shouted and rushed in armed with a switch to punish
the thief. Poor Bright, by his efforts to reach the tempting
mash, was unwittingly playing the game, for this was proof
positive of its desirableness.

After giving Buck a few cuts with the switch, Rolf retired, as
before. Again the sick ox waited for silence, and reaching out
with greedy haste, he gulped down the rest and emptied the
bucket; seeing which, Rolf ran in and gave the rogue a final
trouncing for the sake of consistency.

Any one who knows what slippery elm, peppermint, soda, sulphur,
colic, and ox do when thoroughly interincorporated will not be
surprised to learn that in the morning the stable needed special
treatment, and of all the mixture the ox was the only ingredient
left on the active list. He was all right again, very thirsty,
and not quite up to his usual standard, but, as Van said, after a
careful look, "Ah, tell you vot, dot you vas a veil ox again, an'
I t'ink I know not vot if you all tricky vas like Bright."



Chapter 57. Rolf and Skookum at Albany

The Red Moon (August) follows the Thunder Moon, and in the early
part of its second week Rolf and Van, hauling in the barley and
discussing the fitness of the oats, were startled by a most
outrageous clatter among the hens. Horrid murder evidently was
stalking abroad, and, hastening to the rescue, Rolf heard loud,
angry barks; then a savage beast with a defunct "cackle party"