ler lad, amused at the proposition.

"I'm stronger than most fellers of my size. Try, if I aint," and Ben
squared off in such scientific style that Joslyn responded with sudden
amiability:

"All right, let's see you do it."

Bab huddled into her new equipage without the least fear, and Ben
trundled her off at a good pace, while the boy retired to the shelter
of the barn to watch their progress, glad to be rid of an irksome
errand.

At first, all went well, for the way was down hill, and the wheel
squeaked briskly round and round; Bab smiled gratefully upon her
bearer, and Ben "went in on his muscle with a will," as he expressed
it. But presently the road grew sandy, began to ascend, and the load
seemed to grow heavier with every step.

"I'll get out now. It's real nice, but I guess I _am_ too heavy," said
Bab, as the face before her got redder and redder, and the breath
began to come in puffs.

"Sit still. He said I couldn't. I'm not going to give in with him
looking on," panted Ben, and pushed gallantly up the rise, over the
grassy lawn to the side gate of the Batchelors' door-yard, with his
head down, teeth set, and every muscle of his slender body braced to
the task.

"Did ever ye see the like of that now? Ah, ha!

'The streets were so wide,
and the lanes were so narry,
He brought his wife home
on a little wheelbarry,'"

sung a voice with an accent which made Ben drop his load and push back
his hat, to see Pat's red head looking over the fence.

To have his enemy behold him then and there was the last bitter drop
in poor Ben's cup of humiliation. A shrill approving whistle from the
hill was some comfort, however, and gave him spirit to help Bab out
with composure, though his hands were blistered and he had hardly
breath enough to issue the command:

"Go along home, and don't mind him."

"Nice childer, ye are, runnin' off this way, settin' the women
disthracted, and me wastin' me time comin' after ye when I'd be
milkin' airly so I'd get a bit of pleasure the day," grumbled Pat,
coming up to untie the Duke, whose Roman nose Ben had already
recognized, as well as the roomy chaise standing before the door.

"Did Billy tell you about us?" asked Bab, gladly following toward this
welcome refuge.

"Faith he did, and the Squire sint me to fetch ye home quiet and aisy.
When ye found me, I'd jist stopped here to borry a light for me pipe.
Up wid ye, b'y, and not be wastin' me time stramashin