d, and then
foolishly offered to bet that, if they would pitch it slowly, I could
stow every straw of it on the rack at one load and ride the load into
the barn. I had forgotten that our orders were to put the hay in the
west barn, and that the great doors of that barn were not as large as
those of the south barn, the top-piece over them being but twelve feet
high. I did not once think of that!

The others saw the trap which I was setting for myself, but kept quiet
and laid wagers against me. The more they wagered, the more eager I
became to try it, if they would not hurry me.

Asa began slowly pitching on the hay to me. I laid the load broad and
long, and without any very great difficulty stowed the thirty-one
"tumbles." It was a large load but a shapely one. I was not a little
elated, and chaffed the Doanes considerably. They kept ominously quiet.

We started for the barn, I riding in triumph on the load, and I did not
see the danger before me till we were close to the great doors. Asa did
not stop.

"Haw, Buck! Huh, Line, up there!" he shouted, and drove fast. The
top-piece over the doors struck the load fully three feet down from the
top, scraping off about half a ton of hay and myself along with it. I
landed on the ground behind the cart outside of the doors, with all that
hay over me! The rest of the load went in, amidst shouts of laughter
from the others.

I lay still under the hay, to hear what they would say. Then they all
came around and began to call to me. I kept quiet. Finding that I did
not move nor answer, they grew alarmed. The Old Squire and Elder were
seen coming. "Boys," says Asa, "I dunno but it's broke his neck!" With
that he and Jim seized their forks and began to dig for me so vigorously
that I was glad to shout, to keep from being impaled on the fork-tines.

I crept out and rose to my feet a good deal rumpled, bareheaded and
shamefaced.

The Doanes, Addison and Halse had been so frightened that they did not
now laugh much. The Elder looked at me with a curious expression; and
the Old Squire, who had begun to say something pretty sharp to Asa and
James (who certainly deserved a reprimand), regarded me at first with
some anxiety, which, however, rapidly gave place to a grim smile.
"Well, well, my son," said he, "you must live and learn."

One afternoon later in the month, while we were getting the hay in the
Aunt Hannah meadow, a somewhat exciting incident occurred. Asa was
pitching on a