The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-08-27
CHAPTER Ill.
A TRIAL OF HARD WORK.

CHAPTER Ill.
TRIAL OF HARD WORK
Walter Brownfield cast last look,
at the wagon as it rolled away with the
farmer and his pretty daughter, then
heaving sigh, followed John Miles to
stthe cornfield.
Ibid you ever cut corn befOre?''
asked the young Hercules, when they
came to the corniield.
mo, never did" answered Walter.
"Well, sir, then you'll hev to be
kecrful or yen split your shin open. "
"How?"
Don't you see these corn knives is
SHARPE"
Yes"
swell when We take a hill of corn
this way" wrapping his strong left
arm around large hill of heavy stalks,
blades and ears and drawing it toward
him. There We see, when We strike
il about foot from the ground with
your knife, You have to strike toward
We; and if We don't watch it'll go clear
through the corn an into your shin. :"
''Yes. sir, l perceive" said the unin-
1tiated farmer. you must so regulate
the force of your blow that it will Just
sever the stalks of corn. and yet not
strong enough to do yourself bodily
HARM" added Walter.
The illiterate John Miles looked at
the new farm hand with surprise.
His smooth sentences were pleasant
even to Johns uneducated ear. His
eye surveyed the slender form of the
youth from foot to broad high forehead
and then remarked:
'Well, We may not be much on the
work, but by the tarnation. We know
how to handle your mother tongue
which is more than l do
''But You have a large fine manly
form. You are gifted by God with the
strength of four men like myself, OF
which you should be proud"
Yes, said John, with sigh, 81
was made big-sO was the OK; and to be
big in this world Is to be drudge.
You are one o these genteel fellers
what kin talk like book; sOmethin' l
never could learn when boy"
Learn it now, since you are
man." said Walter.
I'm too big and amt got time to 60
to school. Pinkey is the only one O. us
children who could learn at school"
''You need not go to school to learn
a great many things about the parts of
speech"
How'll learn, then?"
'.At home.n
'Got no teacher"
81 could teach YOU"
''But we have to work"
''YOu will find an idle moment ac-
casionally. which. Improperly improved,
would accomplish wonders in the
course of time
The young man scratched his head
moment thoughtfully, and then said:
''Praps' somethin' could be done in
that way, but we must get to work
here. or we'll make no show aforc
noon"
He then proceeded to show Walter
into the mysteries of starting shock
of fodder.
..You help me on the first row
through, and we kin each bring a row
back he said to Walter.
The corn was large and heavy with
giant stalks and blades that made the
field seem a wilderness. John an
nounced that they would cut the first
twelve hill square. So he counted six
from the south side and six from the
west. They started in at the south
west corner. Then he took four hills
that formed a square in the center and
binding them diagonally took the tops
so as to form a rude coop.
That's the skeleton" explained
John ION which we build the shock"
He then commenced work, grasping
a hill in his left arm he held it close to
his shoulder, with one blow of his
heavy sword-like knife he severed the
entire hill. Then to the next. the next,
and the next in such rapid succession
until he had gathered sufficient to
make large armful when he bore it to
the skeleton and stood up against 1t
almost straight, the butt end down and
the top up.
Walter stood for a few moments
watching his tutor, and saw gradually
and even rapidly growing around him
a clear spot He began to initiate the
example of John Miles, with a partial
success.
He was rs awkward in this as John
Miles would have been in a drawing
room, and the warning cry of ''look
out for your shins'' frequently came to
his ears.
But after short time he became
more skilled in the use of his heavy
sword, and found that by ordinary
care there would be no danger of even
a slight wound.
Shock after shock of tall stalks rose
in the field, leaving a broad trail be-
hind them. Ever advancing into that
impenetrable jungle and sweeping all
before them, the young men moved on
without stopping.
John Miles seemed to work faster as
he became warmed up to it, and Wal
ter Brownfield in his youthful ambition
strove TO keep pace with him.
The sun rose higher in the heavens,
and the morning, which at its birth
was cool, grewwarm before it was one
fourth over.
The hotter grew the day, the faster
John Miles worked. His strong arm
seemed never to tire. Starting in with
a merry whistle he kept it up through
the entire day. The higher rose the
sun, the hotter the day became, the |
faster he worked, the shriller sounded
his whistle over the field.
Walter made manly effort to keep
pace with him, but found that impos-
sible.
The perspiration streamed down his
heated face, and even through his
shirt The corn blades chaffed his
neck and the side of his face. until