ten pounds.

"Beauty" rushed in.

Two station-hands passed among the crowd, each with a bucket of beer
and some glasses. Dad hesitated when they came to him, and said he did
n't care about it. Dave the same.

Dad ran "Beauty" to three pound ten shillings (all the money he had),
and she was knocked down at twelve pounds.

Bidding became lively.

Dave had his eye on the men with the beer--he was thirsty. He noticed
no one paid for what was drunk, and whispered his discovery to Dad.
When the beer came again, Dad reached out and took a glass. Dave took
one also.

"Have another!" said the man.

Dave grinned, and took another.

Dad ran fifteen cows, successively, to three pounds ten shillings.

The men with the beer took a liking to Dave. They came frequently to
him, and Dave began to enjoy the sale.

Again Dad stopped bidding at three pounds ten shillings.

Dave began to talk. He left his place beside Dad and, hat in hand,
staggered to the middle of the yard. "WOH!" he shouted, and made an
awkward attempt to embrace a red cow which was under the hammer.

"SEV'N POUN'--SEV'N POUN'--SEV'N POUN'," shouted the auctioneer,
rapidly. "Any advance on sev'n POUN'?"

"WENNY (hic) QUID," Dave said.

"At sev'n poun' she's GOING?"

"Twenny (hic) TWO quid," Dave said.

"You have n't twenty-two PENCE," snorted the auctioneer.

Then Dave caught the cow by the tail, and she pulled him about the yard
until two men took him away.

The last cow put up was, so the auctioneer said, station-bred and in
full milk. She was a wild-looking brute, with three enormous teats and
a large, fleshy udder. The catalogue said her name was "Dummy."

"How much for 'Dummy,' the only bargain in the mob--how much for her,
gentlemen?"

Dad rushed "Dummy." "Three poun' ten," he said, eagerly.

The auctioneer rushed Dad. "YOURS," he said, bringing his hammer down
with a bang; "you deserve her, old man!" And the station-manager
chuckled and took Dad's name--and Dad's money.

Dad was very pleased, and eager to start home. He went and found Dave,
who was asleep in a hay-stack, and along with Steven Burton they drove
the cow home, and yarded her in the dark.

Mother and Sal heard the noise, and came with a light to see Dad's
purchase, but as they approached "Dummy" threatened to carry the yard
away on her back, and Dad ordered them off.

Dad secured the rails by placing logs and the harrow against them, then
went inside and tol