and said things to Harry when he said things to them, no word of which he or they understood. Al} the same, they followed old Harry’s example when he started to load the dray with fire-wood. Like big black school-boys they entered into the fun of it With the spirit of rivalry. In no time there was a load of iron-bark and box-wood stacked on the dray that would have made a couple of horses much more willing than Tommy scratch pretty hard to shift it far. Then Harry ordered a stop-work, and throwing a rope this way and that way over the load, twitched it tight in several places. By makimg signs and gesticulating at the grinning abos., he managed to make them understand that they could ride on top of the load if they wished. Nothing could have pleased them more. They climbed over the wheel and on to the top like twin Mephistopheles, and sat there showing their splendid teeth, and making their own jokes as they grinned down at old Harry and Tommy.
"Now then, stick tight up there you black skins," said old Harry, taking the reins and starting to turn Tommy and the loaded dray in the direction of home. But he might as well have told those blacks to tumble off and break their necks for all the difference it would have made to their understanding. Anyway, when Tommy wheeled to the right about and scratched and strained and grunted for a yard or so, he stopped trying and gave in with a definite purpose. His purpose was to pull not another stroke until that load of wood was reduced and lightened to his liking. But horses in harness, like humans,
