FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   >>  
in the brook. Now they were waiting for their father and mother to come back. They had been waiting for a long time, for it was seven o'clock. The last thing their mother had called out as she drove off behind the two old farm horses was, "We'll be back by five o'clock, children." What could have happened? "Eben," said Nancy, "we'd better eat our own supper and get something ready for Father and Mother. I guess I'll try to scramble some eggs." "Go ahead," answered Eben. "But we're not the ones I'm worrying about--nor Father and Mother either. It's those poor cows." "Oh! the cows!" cried Nancy. "And the poor Little Sisters! They'll be so hungry." Both children ran to the door. "Just listen to them," said Eben. "They've been waiting in the barn for over an hour now. I certainly wish Father would come." From the big red barn came the lowing of the restless cattle. "I'm going to have another look at them," said Eben. "Come along, Nancy." The two children peered into the big dark barn. The unmistakable cow smell came to them strong in the dark. Stretching down the whole length was stall after stall, each holding an impatient cow. The children could see the restless hind feet moving and stamping; they could see the flicking of many tails; they could feel the cows pulling at the stanchions. On the other side were the stalls of the Little Sisters. They too were moving about wildly. Over above it all rose the deafening sound of the plaintive lowings. By the door stood the gasolene engine. It was attached to a pipe which ran the whole length of the great barn above the cows' stalls. Eben's eyes followed this pipe until it was lost in the dark. "Moo-oo-oo," lowed the cow nearest at hand, so loud that both children jumped. "Poor old Redface," said Nancy. "I wish we could help you." "We're going to," said Eben in an excited voice, "See here, Nancy. We're going to milk these cows!" "Why, Eben Brewster, we could never do it alone!" Nancy's eyes went to the gasolene engine as she spoke. "We've got to," said Eben. "That's all there is about it." So the children began with trembling hands. They lighted two lanterns. "I wish the cows would stop a minute," said Nancy. "I can't seem to think with such a racket going on." Eben turned on the spark of the engine. He had done it before, but it seemed different to do it when his father wasn't standing near. Then he took the crank. "I hope she doesn't kick tonight," he wished ferven
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   >>  



Top keywords:
children
 

Father

 

waiting

 

engine

 

Sisters

 
Little
 
moving
 

stalls

 
restless
 

length


gasolene

 

father

 
mother
 

Mother

 
nearest
 

jumped

 
Redface
 
plaintive
 

lowings

 

wished


ferven

 

deafening

 

attached

 

tonight

 

turned

 

racket

 

lanterns

 

minute

 

lighted

 

trembling


standing

 
Brewster
 

excited

 

scramble

 

supper

 
worrying
 

answered

 
called
 

happened

 
horses

impatient
 

stamping

 
holding
 
Stretching
 

flicking

 

wildly

 
stanchions
 

pulling

 
strong
 

listen