"You know, Laura," Mrs. Wood went on, "that when cows are keptdry and warm, they eat less than when they are freezing and wet. Theyare so warm-blooded that if they are freezing, they have to eat a greatdeal to keep up the heat of their bodies, so it pays better to houseand feed them well. They like quiet, too. I never knew that till Imarried your uncle. 0n our farm, the boys always shouted andscreamed at the cows when they were driving them, andsometimes they made them run. They're never allowed to do thathere."

"I have noticed how quiet this farm seems," exclaimed Miss Laura. "Youhave so many men about, and yet there is so little noise."

"Your uncle whistles a great deal," exclaimed Mrs. Wood. "Have younoticed that? He whistles when he's about his work, and then hehas a calling whistle that nearly all of the animals know, and themen run when they hear it. You'd look at every cow in this stable turnits head, if he whistled in a certain way outside. He says that he gotinto the way of doing it when he was a kid and went for hisfather's cows. He trained them so that he'd just stand in the pastureand whistle, and they'd come to him. I believe the first thing thatinclined me to him was his clear, happy whistle. I'd hear him fromour home away down on the road, jogging along with his cart, ordriving inside his buggy. He says there is no need of screaming at anyanimal. It only frightens and angers them. They will mind muchbetter if you speak clearly and distinctly. He says there is only onething an animal hates more than to be shouted at, and that's to becrept on to have a person sneak up to it and startle it. Harold saysmany a man is kicked, because he comes up to his horse like athief. A startled animal's first instinct is to defend itself. A hound willspring at you, and a horse will let his heels fly. Harold always speaksor whistles to let the stock know when he's approaching."

"Where is uncle this evening?" asked Miss Laura.

"0h, up to his eyes in hay. He's even got one of the oxen harnessedto a hay cart."

"I wonder whether it really is Duke?" said Miss Laura.

"Yes, it is. I saw the star on his forehead," said in reply Mrs. Wood.