So much the girls found out and told me (for I was never at home myself by day); and they very craftily spurred me on, having less noble ideas perhaps, to hit upon Uncle Reuben's track, and follow, and see what became of him.

For he never returned until dark or more, just in time to be in before us, who were coming home from the harvest.

And then Dolly always seemed very weary, and stained with a muck from beyond our parish.
But I refused to follow him, not only for the loss of a day's work to myself, and at least half a day to the other men, but chiefly because I could not think that it would be upright and manly.

It was all very well to creep warily into the valley of the Doones, and heed everything around me, both because they were public enemies, and also because I risked my life at every step I took there.

But as to tracking a feeble old man (however subtle he might be), a guest moreover of our own, and a relative through my mother.--'Once for all,' I said, 'it is below me, and I won't do it.' Thereupon, the girls, knowing my way, ceased to torment me about it: but what was my astonishment the very next day to perceive that instead of fourteen reapers, we were only thirteen left, directly our breakfast was done with--or mowers rather I should say, for we were gone into the barley now.
'Who has been and left his scythe ?' I asked; 'and here's a tin cup never been handled!' 'Whoy, dudn't ee knaw, Maister Jan,' said Bill Dadds, looking at me queerly, 'as Jan Vry wur gane avore braxvass.' 'Oh, very well,' I answered, 'John knows what he is doing.' For John Fry was a kind of foreman now, and it would not do to say anything that might lessen his authority.