“You think you are some, don’t you? I’ll bet I can throw you down—square hold or back hold!”
Tom, however, very prudently declined to accept the challenge. He was opposed to any unnecessary exertion, and it was not his ambition to be considered the “champion wrestler.”
After Mr. Hayes had satisfied himself that the boys had performed their work properly, and that the hay was ready to be taken into the barn, he led the way to the house, where they found dinner waiting for them. When the meal was finished, the farmer arose from his chair, saying:
“Now, Sally Ann, where’s Tommy’s carpet-bag? He wants to put on his workin’ clothes!”
“Why, these are all the working clothes I have with me,” said Tom. “Those in my valise are better than these I have on.”
“Law sakes!” exclaimed the woman, “you aint goin’ into the hay-field with them nice trowsers an’ boots on? You’ll ruin ’em, sure an’ sartin.”
“Wal, ’taint no ways likely that the boy knowed any thing ’bout the work he would have to do,” said the farmer, kindly. “I’ll be goin’ to the village ag’in day after to-morrow, an’ he can go with me, an’ bring out some clothes fit to work in.”
Tom, then, in accordance with the farmer’s suggestion, pulled off his jacket, tucked his pants into the tops of his boots, and was ready to begin operations. The two oldest boys went to the barn to harness the horses, while Tom, imitating the farmer’s example, shouldered a rake and started for the hay-field. He had always thought that raking hay was easy work, and, no doubt he would have found it so, had he been permitted to have his own way. But the farmer and his boys worked as if they were in a great hurry to get through, and, in order to keep pace with them, Tom was obliged to exert himself to the utmost. Animated by a desire to show the country boys that a village youth could do any thing, he worked hard for fully half an hour; and when, at the end of that time, he stopped to wipe the big drops of perspiration from his face, he reluctantly came to the conclusion that he had again mistaken his calling.
“I know what’s the matter,” said Tom to himself. “I made a mistake in coming out here with Mr. Hayes. I ought to have hunted up some stock raiser and gone home with him. I am never going to be this kind of a farmer; so every day I stay here I am wasting time.”