asked Harry, rising from the table.

"Yes, if you want to."

The three went out to the small, weather-beaten building which served as
a barn for the want of a better. It was small, but still large enough
to contain all the crops which Mr. Walton could raise. Probably he
could have got more out of the land if he had had means to develop its
resources; but it was naturally barren, and needed much more manure than
he was able to spread over it.

So the yield to an acre was correspondingly small, and likely, from year
to year, to grow smaller rather than larger.

They opened the small barn door, which led to the part occupied by the
cow's stall. The cow was lying down, breathing with difficulty. Elihu
Perkins looked at her sharply through his "specs."

"What do you think of her, neighbor Perkins?" asked the owner,
anxiously.

The cow doctor shifted a piece of tobacco from one cheek to the other,
and looked wise.

"I think the critter's nigh her end," he said, at last.

"Is she so bad as that?"

"Pears like it. She looks like Farmer Henderson's that died a while ago.
I couldn't save her."

"Save my cow, if you can. I don't know what I should do without her."

"I'll do my best, but you mustn't blame me if I can't bring her round.
You see there's this about dumb critters that makes 'em harder to cure
than human bein's. They can't tell their symptoms, nor how they feel;
and that's why it's harder to be a cow doctor than a doctor for humans.
You've got to go by the looks, and looks is deceivin'. If I could only
ask the critter how she feels, and where she feels worst, I might have
some guide to go by. Not but I've had my luck. There's more'n one of 'em
I've saved, if I do say it myself."

"I know you can save her if anyone can, Elihu," said Mr. Walton, who
appreciated the danger of the cow, and was anxious to have the doctor
begin.

"Yes, I guess I know about as much about them critters as anybody," said
the garrulous old man, who had a proper appreciation of his dignity and
attainments as a cow doctor. "I've had as good success as anyone I know
on. If I can't cure her, you may call her a gone case. Have you got any
hot water in the house?"

"I'll go in and see."

"I'll go, father," said Harry.

"Well, come right back. We have no time to lose."

Harry appreciated the need of haste as well as his father, and speedily
reappeared with a pail of hot water.

"That's right, Harry," said his father. "Now you'd