They drink when they feel like it, and they
drink where the water is handy to the feed. Come to think of it, there
never has been much feed around that spring; and it never flowed good
and hard till we opened it a few days ago."
"Since you opened it, to your personal knowledge, have cattle drunk of
it?"
Uncle Jake scratched his head. The Professor's manner was impressive.
"Have you seen cattle actually drinking that water?"
"I dunno' as I have. I've seen 'em standing in it."
"Animals have remarkable subjective intelligence--what you would term
instincts. It would be extremely interesting to determine whether such
instincts have prevented them from drinking water unfit for animal
consumption."
"Unfit for animal consumption? By gosh, that's what killed our cow, I
reckon! We found her lyin' by the spring, cold an' stiff, two days
ago!"
"Have you buried the carcass?"
"Not much. Turkey-buzzards attend to our cow funerals."
"Of course. You look excited, my friend."
"I am. We've lost other cattle and colts in this yere pasture."
"Ah!" murmured the Professor. His expression became benignant.
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