The cows were fond of Nathan. Sometimes the black cow would put out her rough tongue and touch his hand.
Now they were all in a hurry to reach the warm barn. They walked along the road as fast as they could.
"I think I will go by the wood path," said Nathan to himself. "It is only half as far, and I know every step of the way."
So he ran on before the cows, and let down the bars into the wood path.
The cows went on after him. They, too, knew every step of the path. Nathan often took them home that way. The end of the wood path was near the door of the barn.
It was very still in the woods. The dry leaves rustled as the cows walked through them. There was no other sound. The trees looked big and black.
Nathan whistled as he walked. He had never been in the woods after dark before. He was glad that he was not far from home.
Once the black cow stepped on a long, dry branch. The other end of the branch flew up in Nathan's face and made him jump.
"What a baby I am!" said he. "There is nothing to be afraid of. I can see the lamp in our kitchen now."
Nathan was now on the top of the hill. The trees were cut down on one side of the path. He could look across a cornfield to his home.