side, each leaping the same shock until they had reached the bottom wall almost at the same time, where they argued and made claims to victory in broken voices. They walked quickly up again to the girl and threw themselves down panting, close to her, arguing together as much as they could without breath.
The girl laughed and said something; then they rose up and raced again, the heavier one this time encouraging himself with groans at each leap over the sheaves, flinging himself over with so much ferocity that he tumbled at the end well in front.
"You can jump, no mistake," said the girl to the winner. "But what's the matter with you?" she asked the other, putting a foxglove between her lips. Both were too much out of breath to speak, but in a few minutes started again. They ran faster than ever; they leapt well over the tops of the shocks, so high as to stumble at each descent. The winner of the last race could only just keep level with the other, and seemed about to collapse at each thundering jump, when his rival, beginning a great leap too early, fell in the middle of the shock and lost the race. They returned, the winner first, and lay sprawling, panting full in the girl's face.
"Well, Luke, you have won, and there's your kiss," she said to the heavier lad.
"And, John, you have been beaten; we did not say what the loser should have, so here's two for you," she went on, this time taking the flower out of her mouth. "And now, lads, race again!"
This time the race was never in doubt. John took each leap as if he aimed at the harvest moon that rose
