struck.
Retreating into the cover of the trees she began breaking off lengths of some of the drier brushwood. By the time the ploughing team had passed by twice more, she had accumulated a pile of long slender sticks. These she made up into as neat a bundle as she could manage and secured it with one of the pieces of twine. The second length she tied to the ends of the bundle, leaving enough slack to slip it over her head and one shoulder so that the cord ran diagonally across her front between her breasts. It helped steady the bundle, but it was still awkward to carry. She pushed a thicker stick through the base of the bundle so its ends projected from each side. With the bundle on her back she could reach back and grasp the improvised handles, keeping it from slipping and spreading the load a little. She found she had to bend forward to keep her balance, which was useful as it gave her a reason to lower her head and avoid eye contact. The bundle was not comfortable to carry, but then it would be inappropriate if she looked as though she was enjoying herself.
Alice moved back through the bushes towards the field to check on the ploughing team. She wanted to be sure they were well out of the way while she made for the lane. She did not want anybody to see her emerge from the trees so close to the border in case they wondered where she had sprung from.
The team was just plodding into view. As they came level with her the boar ploughman called out: ‘Whoa … rest.’ The girlings immediately sank to their knees and straightened and wriggled their backs with sighs of relief.
Annoyed, Alice shrank down into the cover of a bush and held still. Why did they have to stop now with only a few furrows to go? She was anxious to get going.
The boar walked towards the bushes and Alice stifled a gasp of fear, thinking he had seen her. But his objective was a bush a few feet away. He pulled out a thick pizzle from the tangle of hair between his thighs and directed a stream of urine into the undergrowth. Alice grinned in relief. He was just answering a call of nature.
Shaking off the last drops and tucking his member away, the boar returned to his plough, uncorked a canteen of water that hung from its handles and had a drink. Then he made his way along the line of harnessed girlings, slipping their muzzles down to allow them to take a few swallows each. Alice saw the muzzles had a rubber bar across their insides, which would act like a bit when it was in place. No doubt it provided something for the girls to bite on as they strained at their task and also served to remind them of their place. As the boar went he patted their heads and murmured words of encouragement that were kindly enough but did not invite a reply. It was the way that one might address dumb animals.
‘Well drawn, soon be finished,’ he said. ‘Then it’s back to the barn for you and a good rub down …’
When he reached the last girling, a sturdy brunette with her hair tied back in a ponytail, a grin split the boar’s great snout. After he had watered her he replaced her muzzle, then lifted her to her feet by her collar. As he clasped and squeezed the girl’s heavy breasts in his large rough hands, he said, ‘Needed a few flicks to keep you going today, didn’t I, Brownie? But nothing you can’t take. I think you enjoy the odd tickle. Did I make that arse of yours red? Let’s have a look.’
He moved round behind the girl and bent her forward so he could inspect her bottom cheeks. He patted and slapped them with evident pleasure. Alice saw his pizzle was rising into something resembling a large red carrot. This he rubbed against the cleft of the girl’s buttocks a few times then said with a chuckle, ‘Open wide, Brownie.’
Alice found she was holding her breath, knowing what was to come. Memories of her time in Topper and Lepus’s training yard came back to her. She had watched girlings casually taken like this dozens of times with a mixture of