not tarry a second, but ran straight to the farm for help.

It was slow work setting poles in the marsh, laying out boards and
slipping ropes under the cow, to draw her up by. For when the men
reached her she had sunk to her back, so that only her head was
above the mire. After they had finally dragged her back onto firm
ground and carted her home to Falla the housewife invited all who
had worked over the animal to come inside for coffee.

No one had been so zealous in the rescue work as had Jan of
Ruffluck. But for him the cow would have been lost. And just think!
She was a cow worth at least two hundred rix-dollars.

To Jan this seemed a rare stroke of luck. Surely the new master and
mistress could not fail to recognize so great a service. Something
of a similar nature once happened in the old master's time. Then it
was a horse that had been impaled on a picket fence. The one who
found the horse and had it carted home received from Eric of Falla
a reward of ten rix-dollars; And that despite the fact that the
beast was so badly injured that Eric had to shoot it.

But the cow was alive and in nowise harmed. So Jan pictured himself
going on the morrow to the sexton, or to some other person who
could write, to ask him to write to Glory Goldie and tell her to
come home.

When Jan came into the living-room at Falla he naturally drew
himself up a bit. The old housewife was pouring coffee and he did
not wonder at it when she handed him his cup before even Lars
Gunnarson had been served. Then, while they were all having their