The Fight

While his fatigued arms might digress quite vociferously, Martii Halme prosecutes his workday with the perspective that he is not wrong to have rushed across the lake to Räikkölä-ke where he has promised to herd the cows while Katri recuperates in spite of Helena's objections equally split between emphatic counsel to stay home and declaring her intention to blow the whistle to her family government; meanwhile, Ulla and Anneli prosecute a conversation about the latter's perspective of the former's recovery while the former having decided for housing Katri in the summer house charges the latter the refurbishment of a room to this effect. Unfortunately, poor Martii has to endure running on fumes as a consequence of power-rowing across the lake on an empty stomach due to having overslept through breakfast; if that is not enough, a power nap after an impromptu brunch becomes the backdrop for a thunderstorm to unexpectedly roll in the necessity of having to grapple with the cows toward the shelter of the forest. Upon Helena having explained it to him, Governor Halme is none too pleased at his son's choice of summer employment and heads out to express this perspective; meanwhile, it becomes glaringly apparent that Martii is absolutely in over his head when a ground-bound lightning strike panics several of the cows into running away deeper into the woods. Caring nothing of Martii's exhaustion from having to retrieve the absconding bovines and that Martii is in over his head, Pekka objurgates Martii's irresponsibility for leaving the cows unattended during a thunderstorm at which Martii snaps and gives Pekka a far more ferocious run for his money than his aristocratic appearance would suggest possible!!! Even with his truce with Pekka to ensure that all the bovines are present and accounted for, a mud-spattered Martii is anguished to find that his fortunes have ultimately hit rock-bottom when Governor Halme rides onto the scene with a lot of very destructive criticism for his cattle-herding efforts; about the only silver lining in this is that Pekka steps up to the plate to offer his perspective of Martti's performance being above and beyond the call of duty!!!