It always took three to work the slide.

The water they brought was a little thick--old Anderson had been down and
stirred it up pulling a bullock out; but Dad put plenty ashes in the cask
to clear it.

Each of us had his own work to do. Sandy knocked the partition down and
decorated the place with boughs; Mother and the girls cooked and covered
the walls with newspapers, and Dad gathered cow-dung and did the floor.

Two days before the wedding. All of us were still working hard. Dad was
up to his armpits in a bucket of mixture, with a stack of cow-dung on one
side, and a heap of sand and the shovel on the other. Dave and Joe were
burning a cow that had died just in front of the house, and Sandy had gone
to town for his tweed trousers.

A man in a long, black coat, white collar, and new leggings rode up, spoke
to Dad, and got off. Dad straightened up and looked awkward, with his
arms hanging wide and the mixture dripping from them. Mother came out.
The cove shook hands with her, but he did n't with Dad. They went
inside--not Dad, who washed himself first.

Dave sent Joe to ask Dad who the cove was. Dad spoke in a whisper and
said he was Mr. Macpherson, the clergyman who was to marry Kate and Sandy.
Dave whistled and piled more wood on the dead cow. Mother came out and
called Dave and Joe. Dave would n't go, but sent Joe.

Dave threw another log on the cow, then thought he would see what was
going on inside.