It was no use to try to dissuade her now, as the old Squire well knew
from long experience. When her pride was touched no arguments would move
her.
With the elder heaving up great forkfuls and grandmother Ruth valiantly
laying them at the front and at the back of the rack, they continued
loading the hay. Jim tried to place his forkfuls where they need not be
moved and where the girls could tread them down.
The load grew higher, for now that we were in the swales the hay could
not be laid out widely. It would be a big load, or at least a lofty one.
Grandmother Ruth began to fear lest the girls should fall off, and,
calling on Elder Witham to catch them, she bade them slide down
cautiously to the ground at the rear end of the cart. She then went on
laying the load alone. As a consequence it was not so firmly trodden and
became higher and higher until Jim and the elder could hardly heave
their forkfuls high enough for her to take them. But they got the last
tumble up to her and shouted, "All on!" to the old Squire, who now was
nearly invisible on his seat in front. Grandmother Ruth settled herself
midway on the load to ride it to the barn, thrusting her fork deep into
the hay so as to have something to hold on by.
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