One of James's early adventures
Jan. 9th, 2011 12:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nellie_megFrom Jean Walker's Memoirs:
It was about this time that James caused a stir. He became known as "the laddie who went through the Binder". Our father was driving the tractor which was pulling the binder cutting the barley. The crop had been partly "laid" so he was only cutting on one side. When he switched off to go round, we children used to jump on and have a ride an the stationary canvas, but the time came when James leapt on too soon and was carried up between the rollers (I can still see his head passing up as if in slow motion). At the top the straw begins to get gathered into a bunch and a large needle, threaded with bindertwine, pierces through it and ties up the sheaf. Luckily, by some miracle, James's body turned sideways and he slipped past the treacherous needle and he dropped safely to the ground. Our shouting alerted Dad, who stopped the tractor and came rushing round - to find the near-tragedy had been averted. I don't know what, if any, punishment was meted out. James was certainly a "nine-day wonder"!
It was about this time that James caused a stir. He became known as "the laddie who went through the Binder". Our father was driving the tractor which was pulling the binder cutting the barley. The crop had been partly "laid" so he was only cutting on one side. When he switched off to go round, we children used to jump on and have a ride an the stationary canvas, but the time came when James leapt on too soon and was carried up between the rollers (I can still see his head passing up as if in slow motion). At the top the straw begins to get gathered into a bunch and a large needle, threaded with bindertwine, pierces through it and ties up the sheaf. Luckily, by some miracle, James's body turned sideways and he slipped past the treacherous needle and he dropped safely to the ground. Our shouting alerted Dad, who stopped the tractor and came rushing round - to find the near-tragedy had been averted. I don't know what, if any, punishment was meted out. James was certainly a "nine-day wonder"!
