Page:Cornelia Meigs-The Pirate of Jasper Peak.djvu/147

 that he was nearly choked. As he went to the door for a breath of fresh air, he remembered,  with sudden dismay, that he must milk Hulda.

For a long time after, Hugh preferred not to remember that interview between himself and  the indignant cow. Even when he did think of it, he realized that Hulda showed the greatest  forbearance and that the kick she gave him was  probably an involuntary one, administered when  cow nature could endure no more. She looked around at him a moment later with apology in  her mild brown eyes, encouraging him to forget  his smarting knee, to sit down upon the stool and  attempt the task again. At last he straightened his aching back and stood gazing with pride at  the bucket half full of foaming milk.

“You are a good cow, Hulda,” he confided to her; “there are not many who would stand for  what you have.”

Very carefully he carried his prize back to the house, slipping and stumbling on the wet path,  but taking the greatest care that not a drop should  be spilled. He felt prouder of having milked