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The day of a working ox?axstarts early. They are ready at the
break of dawn and the crack of the whip. Seldom is the whip
ever used on the animal. It is just popped in the air ? as
Or-	?	y	?	,	.	'
a sort ofj"threat'V Well trained oxen know their work, know
their names, know their place^jand the^S? team work is pure
^	^	is^	easy	?'
harmony of action. The Yoke,/made of black gum, the bow made
of seasoned hickory,	together with the pins
have a total weight of around 45 pounds, not a heavy load for a
thousand f ive hundred pound animal. And there1s a true art
in the making of a good toell?fitted bow. Moran says hot water
is used to bend and shape the bow which is then "scorched" for
a smooth fit. These properly made bows do not chaff or
irritate and they last indefinitely. "Camille took one from
Dad's shed", Moran said, "that was every bit of fifty years old
and in good shape."
The normal working life of an oxen is abouts 15 to 20
years, but Old Charlie was an exception. This noble beast
was born in 1951 and died in pastur^at age 28^ twenty-six of
which were "working years". **Charlie was a brown-brindle ox
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