Norwich bulletin., 1912-07-13
THE HAPPENINGS OF A SUMMER DAY

I started in to build the kitchen fire. It was hardly lighted when fresh outbreak from the dog sent me out again to discover that several lambs had worked their way under wire fence and were cheerfully chewing up my lettuce and beets. Of course they couldn't be induced to go back through the same hole they escaped by. And they individually and collectively re- fused to see or profit by the new and larger hole I made for them. By the time I got them corralled again, the sun was on his job and was fine ly soaked with dew from the knees down and with sweat from the knees up.
 Then the fire had to be started ever again. By the time breakfast was finished 1 was once more fairly cool and comfortable. The milking and other chores" went off about as usual. By that time my man arrived and we started on the days work. It hap pened to be pea picking day, and we hadn't gone two rods along the first row when we discovered that, since the last picking, three days before, four woodchucks had dug four holes in the rows destroying the vines by their digging for some distance from each hole and chewing up much of what they hadn't pulled down or buried. A few minutes with the hoe and the bi- sulphide of carbon bottle 'dosed" them into eternity, and we went on pick ing from the remaining vines Sud denly Hank gave a shout. I looked up and there, just over the fence stood Old Dun, the COW, right in the midst of my best early sweet corn, having the time of her life. It took something of a chase to catch her. with the sun getting in it's best licks all the time, and the thermometer standing at 9S in the shade. It wouldn't do to have that sort of thing happen again, so we got out the old poke" repaired it and adjusted it. and then hunted up and repaired the broken down fence through which she made her way.
 Coming back towards the barns, I remarked to Hank; "Wonder what'll happen next?" Hardly had the words passed, when we heard a sudden thrashing in the horse stable. Hur- rying there to find what was the trouble, we discovered the black horse down in his stall, his legs stretched out stiff1y, his lips drawn btck from his teeth, and panting with a violence that was painful to witness. Well, we got him loose, after a time, and in the absence of any real knowledge what was the trouble, we gave him a drench of soda with a little chloral hydnate. This seemed to relieve the pain, and by and by he was able to get up. In the mean time 1 had begun to suspect that it might be kidney collie" and so went for my sweet spirits of nitre bot tie only to find that it was empty. ThereBpon a hasty hitching up of the other horse and drive to town. Two hours later he was able to niloble grass a little But he's still weak and in poor condition.
 Hardly had we got back to the wait ing pea vines when there came sounds of something wrong in the pasture. The sheep began to bleat loudly and a | minute later we heard the bark of dogs. My rife happened to be handy Snatching it up, I started on a run for the back lots. So far as the sheen were concerned, it turned out a false I alarm. The dogs were not hunting | them. but were having fun with" my yearling heifer. They had chased her till she was in a state of blind panic l and was going over bushes and i through fences regardless of anything l except a terror of her tormentors The 1 dogs sneaked behind cover the moment 1 they saw me and then perhaps I didn't have a job in getting that scared 1 heifer back into her right mind and, incidentally, her right pasture.
 II was about this time that forcibly expressed the wish that Watch HiiI bathing beach were in the next lot and water-cooler full of iced lemon ade just beside it.
 Half the day was gone, by this time and l knew that we could never nick the peas which needed 1t during the aft l ernoon. So 1 telephoned in half a dozen 1 different directions, and at last got a
 boy to come and help. He appeared
 In proper season, and we managed to gather in about two bushels. Then
 chanclng to turn my head towards the
 woods, noticed a dense smoke rising rom them. Considering that we
 haven't mad rain for over four weeks l and that everything out-of- doors is
 dfy as tlhders this was not a. pleasant | slght, Grabbing such tools as were
 handiest we set off on a run. The fire
 had not gained much headway. How
 II startea we couldn't tell, but it was
 burning in carpet of dry pine
 needles, and had crept out into g
 circle of perhaps three or four rods ir
 diameter when we arrived. Luckily
 there wasn't breath of wind to far
 It, and an hours hard work finally
 conquered it, Though not till it haC
 burned fully foot deep into the bak.
 ed soil, which was composed largely
 Of roots and dry leaf mold requiring
 the la5orieus bringing of many pail
 of water from distant spring to soal
 out the treacherous, under surface
 embers.