He had little “eddication,” could hardly read, and was therefore greatly impressed with the value of “book larnin’,” and determined that his own children should have the “best that money could git in that line,” which probably meant that they should read fluently.  His own reading was done on Sunday mornings, when he painfully spelled out the important items in a weekly paper; “important” meant referring to the produce market or the prize ring, for he had been known and respected as a boxer, and dearly loved the exquisite details of the latest bouts.  He used to go to church with his wife once a month to please her, and thought it very unfair therefore that she should take no interest in his favourite hobby—­the manly art.

Although hard and even brutal in his dealings with men, he could not bear to see an animal ill used.  “The men can holler when they’re hurt, but the poor dumb baste has no protection.”  He was the only farmer in the country that would not sell or shoot a worn-out horse.  “The poor brute has wurruked hard an’ hez airned his kape for the rest av his days.”  So Duncan, Jerry and several others were “retired” and lived their latter days in idleness, in one case for more than ten years.

Raften had thrashed more than one neighbour for beating a horse, and once, on interfering, was himself thrashed, for he had the ill-luck to happen on a prizefighter.  But that had no lasting effect on him.  He continued to champion the dumb brute in his own brutal way.

Among the neighbours the perquisites of the boys were the calfskins.  The cows’ milk was needed and the calves of little value, so usually they were killed when too young for food.  The boys did the killing, making more or less sport of it, and the skins, worth fifty cents apiece green and twenty-five cents dry, at the tannery, were their proper pay.  Raften never allowed his son to kill the calves.  “Oi can’t kill a poor innocent calf mesilf an’ I won’t hev me boy doin’ it,” he said.  Thus Sam was done out of a perquisite, and did not forget the grievance.

Mrs. Raften was a fine woman, a splendid manager, loving her home and her family, her husband’s loyal and ablest supporter, although she thought that William was sometimes a “leetle hard” on the boys.  They had had a large family, but most of the children had died.  Those remaining were Sam, aged fifteen, and Minnie, aged three.

Yan’s duties were fixed at once.  The poultry and half the pigs and cows were to be his charge.  He must also help Sam with various other chores.

There was plenty to do and clear rules about doing it.  But there was also time nearly every day for other things more in the line of his tastes; for even if he were hard on the boys in work hours, Raften saw to it that when they did play they should have a good time.  His roughness and force made Yan afraid of him, and as it was Raften’s way to say nothing until his mind was fully made up, and then say it “strong,” Yan was left in doubt as to whether or not he was giving satisfaction.