Boys and girls clapped their hands with enthusiasm, and cried
"Splendid!" "Capital!" etc.

"I'll milk her," said Dick. "Hand me that cup. I'm obliged to the cow
for not eating it."

The cow happened to be a gentle animal, so she did not run away at
Dick's approach, yet she seemed determined that he should not get into
milking position. She kept her broad, white-starred face toward him,
and her large, liquid eyes on his, turning, turning, turning, as he
tried over and over to approach her flanks, while the others stood
watching in mute expectancy.

"Give her some feed," said Mat.

"Feed! I shouldn't think she could bear the sight of anything more
after all that lunch," said Dick. "Beside, there isn't any feed about
here."

Somebody suggested that Bob Trotter had brought some hay and corn
for his horses. Dick proposed that Julius should go for some. Julius
proposed that Dick should go. Valentine offered to bring it, and
brought it--some corn in a basket.

"Suke! Suke, Bossy! Suke, Bossy! Suke!" Dick yelled as though the cow
had been two hundred feet off instead of ten. He held out the basket.
She came forward, sniffed at the corn, threw up her lip and took a
bite. Dick set the basket under her nose and hastened to put himself
in milking position. But that was the end of it. He could not milk a
drop.