"I do, Nat."
"Uncle Abner wants to make a regular slave out of a fellow."
"Didn't he say you were to help him milk to-night?"
"Yes, and I might as well get at it right away. If I don't, he'll give me another jawing," answered the boy, and placing his fish on a bench, he strode off toward the barnyard.
Nat Nason was an orphan, the only child of Mr. William Nason, who had been a brother to the late Mrs. Balberry. The boy's father had been killed in a runaway and his mother had never gotten over the shock of the sudden death.
When the youth found himself an orphan he was taken in by his Aunt Mary, who did what she could for him. The Nasons had not been rich, so there was little or no money coming to Nat. From the start he was told that he must earn his own living, and this he proceeded to do to the best of his ability.
The death of his Aunt Mary was almost as much of a blow to the lad as the loss of his mother, for it left him under the entire charge of his uncle, Abner Balberry. The latter had no children of his own and he made Nat work as hard as if he were a full-grown man.
The Balberry farm was located in Ohio, not far from the town of Caswell. It consisted of one hundred acres of good land, with a house and several outbuildings. Among his neighbors Abner Balberry was considered the meanest man in the district. Abner himself thought he was a pretty good man and he counted himself a real "pillow" of the church, as he expressed it.
For two years life on the Balberry farm had been one continual grind to Nat Nason. He was expected to work from morning to night, and such a thing as a whole day off was utterly unknown to him. He received next to nothing in the way of spending money.
"I'll save the money fer ye," Abner Balberry would say, when questioned on the subject. "'Tain't good fer boys to have too much cash on hand. It makes 'em reckless."
"But you never give me anything," had been Nat's answer.
"Never mind—I'm a-givin' you a good home an' good eatin'," was the answer.
The good home and good fare were something to be questioned. Nat's room was a small one under the roof, his clothing usually made over from the garments worn by Mr. Balberry, and such a thing as an elaborate table was unknown on the farm. Many times Mrs. Felton had wished to cook more, or make some fancy dishes, but Abner Balberry had always stopped her from doing such a thing.
"Plain fare is good enough," he would say. "An' if ye eat too much it only brings on the dyspepsy." More than once Nat went to bed feeling positively hungry.
When Nat reached the barnyard he found his uncle already there with the milk pails and milking an old white cow called Sukey.
"Go on down the lane and drive up Jule," cried Abner Balberry, without stopping his milking. "She just went down that way."
"All right," answered Nat, and passing through the barnyard he hurried down the lane mentioned.
Jule was a new cow that the farmer had purchased a week before. She did not seem inclined to herd with the other animals and Nat had had quite a good deal of trouble with her before.
At the end of the lane was an orchard and here he found the cow, contentedly eating the fresh grass. She tried to get away from him, but he was too quick for the creature and soon had her turned around and headed up the lane. Then he stopped to get an apple, for his fishing trip had made him hungry and he knew that supper was still a good hour off.
"I wish I had some other kind of a job," he murmured, with a sigh. "Somehow, farming doesn't seem to be just the right thing for me. Wish I was in some big city."
"Hurry up with that cow!" cried Abner Balberry. "Do you think I'm going to stop here all night fer milkin'?"
"I'm coming!" sang out Nat. "Get along, Jule, you old slow poke!"
He gave the cow a slap on the side, and away she flew up the lane. The boy followed, finishing the apple as he went.
As it happened several cows were bunched up near the entrance to the lane and as the new cow appeared, driven by Nat, the bunch scattered. Then Jule ran directly into the barnyard.
"Hi! hi! stop!" yelled Abner Balberry. "Drat the beast! Stop!"
But the new cow did not stop, and a moment later she stepped into a pailful of milk, and tipped it over. Then she ran against another cow that the farmer was milking. This cow swerved around, and in a twinkling Abner Balberry was thrown on his back and the milk was sent flying over him.
CHAPTER II
A QUARREL IN THE BARNYARD
The sight of Abner Balberry flat on his back, and with the milk flowing over him, was a comical one, and for the instant Nat had to laugh out-right.
"Hi! hi!" roared the farmer. "Git away! Drat the beasts! Now, Nat Nason, jest see what you've done!"
He struggled to his feet, and Nat at once became sober, for he realized that trouble was at hand.
"It's too bad, Uncle Abner——" began the youth.
"Too bad? I should say it was too bad!" cried the farmer. "An' all your fault, too!"
"I can't see how it was my fault. You told me to drive the cow up here."
"Don't tell me, Nat Nason! It's your fault. An' all that fresh milk gone to waste!" Abner Balberry gave a groan. "I don't know most what I'm a-goin' to do with you fer this."
"I can't see how it's my fault."
"You made the cows git frightened."
"No, I didn't."
"Don't tell me! Don't you know that milk is worth money?"
"Yes, but——"
"You scart thet cow out o' her wits," went on the farmer, his rage growing as he looked at the spilt milk. "Nat Nason, I tell you, you're a bad boy!"
To this the youth made no reply.
"I'm a-goin' to teach ye a lesson fer it!"
"Shall I milk Jule?"
"Yes, an' mind ye don't spill a drop nuther!"
Silently Nat went to work, and milked not only the new cow but also two of the others. By this time milking was over, and the lacteal fluid was carried to the spring-house to cool. Then the cows were allowed to wander down to the pasture for the night.
When Nat approached the kitchen again an appetizing odor of frying fish filled the air. The boy's uncle followed him.
"Supper is ready," said Mrs. Felton, cheerfully. "You had some trouble with the cows, didn't you?" she continued.
"It was Nat's fault," grumbled Abner Balberry. "He made them run around an' upset everything. Nat, I said as how I was going to teach ye a lesson. You wash up an' go to bed at once."
"Go to bed?" queried the boy.
"Thet's what I said, didn't I?"
"Do you mean right after supper?"
"No, I mean before supper," snarled Abner Balberry.
"Oh, isn't he to have his supper first?" put in the housekeeper, timidly.
"No, he ain't."
After this abrupt declaration there was an awkward pause.
"Do you want me to go to bed