14 James Howard

Early one morning in December Harold had just led me into my boxafter my daily exercise, and was strapping my cloth onand James was coming in from the corn chamber with some oats,when the master came into the stable. He looked rather serious,and held an open letter inside his arm. Harold rapidened the entrance of my box,touched his cap, and waited for orders.

"Good-morning, John," exclaimed the master. "I want to knowif you have any complaint to make of James."