They soon covered the two miles, Mrs. Lane getting along very fast for
such a large woman, and at last they stood before Hiram Tinch, who
owned the farm. Archie was made to describe his intentions, and was
thoroughly examined by Mr. Tinch. He told the farmer that he knew
nothing about farm work, but Mr. Tinch said he would soon teach him,
and it was settled that Archie was to remain on the farm a week. Mrs.
Lane went inside the house to see her sister, who looked sick with too
much work, and the farmer told Archie that he might as well start in,
as there was no object in waiting. So the boy donned a pair of "blue
jean" trousers, and was taken into a field, where a one-horse plough
was standing. Archie knew how to hitch a horse, so he went to the
stable and secured his steed, and then harnessed him to the plough.
The farmer didn't see fit to give him any instructions about
ploughing, and the poor boy hardly knew what to do, but rather than
ask he started off, and tried to guide the animal in the right
direction, as far as he knew it. Of course the horse went wrong, and
the plough refused to stay in the earth, and altogether the attempt
was a miserable failure. The farmer leaned against the fence, picking
his teeth with a pin, but when he saw the horse going crooked, and the
plough bounding along over the earth, his face grew livid with anger.
For a minute he seemed unable to speak, but strode toward Archie with
a fierce look in his eyes.
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