Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-05-25
CHAPTER XXXvIII.
rue GALLOWAY HERD LOOKS HIS
SHEEP


1,renrb spy under the escort of Felix Du-
r,nd's two friends, a great peace settled
t,,rn mon the farms and villages round
me Dee Water. 1t was the height of the
hsxrime. and there was the glory of the
-,mmer on all the pastures. The hill
.heon we're little trouble now. Indeed,
h. minds of the workers were on other
.binrs. At the farm of Drumquhat,
,ybpre Walter Anderson was busy learn
mo his trade under the supervision Of
Neck M'Quhirr. they were allowed to
follow their winding ways along the face
~ the braes and among the heather-hid-
Ion crags. cropping the young shoots and
the tender hidden grasses at their own
,Jacid wills. from the time when the dew
rms on the grass and the sunlight came
,b;U from the east till the hour of the
lpep of men, Sheep never sleep in the
sanSt, in which other animals do. At any
bour in the short summer nights you can
hpar them munching and cropping, lying
down TO eat all within their reach. ru-
minating for Il little, and then moving on
10 pastures new.
Waller Anderson went with Aleck one
morning to look the hill''-that is, TO
lannt the sheep on the undulating moor
land which stretched away to the south
across the wilderness of peat-hag and
hoe towards the Range of the kels on
tLe one hand and the fertile strains
which contributed to the Dee ON the 9TH
or Walter now slept lin the laft," UNI
der the airy spaces of the uncelled gar
ret with his uncles, to the undisguised
sorrow of his mother. but to his own de-
ght as being at hast eInancipated from
hoyh0Od and now at last become a real
Galloway herd.
Therefore. when Aleck was ready to so
"a the hill. the clock had not yet struck
i've. This meant that the morning had
not vet really touched a quarter past
four for in these parts the housewife who
does net keep her clock at least half an
hour fast and so snatch an earlier need
of labor from herself and her assistants,
is held to be unthrifty and careless of the
precious hours. The theory of this is that
If YOU can get your folk betimes to work
in the morning, they will see to getting
10 bed in time themselves. Sometimes
the clock in south country farm kitchens
+, as much as an hour and a quarter fast,
which is stimulating to the practice of
mental arithmetic, but is not supposed to
he really so effective as three-quarterS OF
an hour, which commends itself TO
most mistresses as the golden mean be
tween hard driving and unduly permitted
>luggishness.
If the inhabitants of the farm were not
early astir at Drumquhat the active mis-
tress would he round with an inquiry.
Mary McQuhirr would have no loiterers
among the workers for whom she was re-
>ponsbe.
Good mornin'! Are you weel this
mornin' y
"Ay: I'm no that ILL.,
Then rise! We like the beds made i
the mornn' here
Aeck found Waite at the foot of the
stair before him. He whistled up his
dogs which came rushing from the kitch-
IN. knocking over a three-legged stool in
their unnecessary ardor. Slaves III hand,
The two herds took their way down the
4 barrow, well-trOdden path to the horse
Fatering- Dlace, then over the stlle on to
tie hill, and in Il moment more the wet
heather bells were flashing about their
ankles The sun had climbed a consid-
Gabe part of his long ascent up the sky,
and the larks were singing and pulSatlng
awards as if they were the sole choris-
tprS Of the JOY of morning But as the-l
heat of the sunshine began 10 dry the
heather and the bent. the crickets sent
forth their shrill note of content, while
all about the whaups and the peewits
were uttering their protests against the
ranging collies. The dogs went hither
and thither, now hot-foot in the scent of
some nocturnally wandering hare, and
now sitting down with the WiseSt air iii
the world to watch the gambols of the
rabbits along the woodside, aware that
me slightest advance would send them
al vanishing to their holes.
Waite frolicked along, becoming grave
and staid only when he remembered for
moment that he was second herd,
ana talked about the cave and the Hoo
let and the Dell to Aleck. That
Young man tramped along. keeping Il
hetn and wary eye along to where he saw
'Ae frlngeS of his flock crawling like
@Gte mites far up among the notified
heather Aleck answered in an absent
M!hded way until Waite, with the in
5'ihet Of the young for pleasing topic,
"esan to tell him what the "Hoolet" had
aald OF Nance Chrystic. Then Aleck took
interest enough. Indeed. Waite general
y talked about nothing else when he
vas out with Alecl. When he and
tf'AIe Grierson went for Il walk, he
ny" mat he must talk about his mother
i De We're to be treated like d groWn-up
@GS:9. 10 cear-eyed is youth on matters
"Xch trouble older heads to unravel.
now the herds were coming upon the
4"tr skirts of the sheep. it was the work |
lew moments to send the dogs aloft
me rlght and left. The sheep did not |
in olSconcerted. They simply moved |
Hlue inward, and continued the steady !
SEedElng of their fast. But gradually |
IN Jugs wore them towards the center !
H.. GIleE We're not unequal column maxi |
~ Ils way over the moor in a direction |
#nle opposite to the farmhouse. Aleck |
"'tc!ed his dogs as much with gesture |
- WIN voice, being in this the opposite |
IT, MS father, whose stormy vocifera-
I hehowed across the hilltopS and |
SVHe IN thunder-clap upon the collies |
rTney ran hither and thther.
~ine Sheep We're compelled towards q |
dyah the opening in two reaches of |
b.nt which formed a right angle with a |
ldo o W at the point of junction. At one |
ana v! me slap" stood Aleck McQuhirr. |
~ Nv "a. al ne other Watt.". both counting |
1 ,5ie scores as the wollly backs came |
h,cls ana fast, each meek nose laid on the |
renn, VI Its front neighbor .Aleck could |
4 aitbs..eh or twelve score of black faces |
Hs ,- ag making a mistake of one. and |
asbi assistant lS has retained to this day the |
VA VI counting by twenties which he /
Wb,aught on the Galloway moors.
4 fool the press had passed. and the |
.bro,,. iSSulng out of the narrow gullet |
4 .rar uSh which it had been strained, had |
n ssrr out and scattered along the many |
a-ha- me- Ieuacks for the enjoyment OF /
" WE'VE hours uninterrupted liber-
Il ar,v,.a,5' er and his friend continued their |
q gbepa Journey along the march-dykc. |
II tHt-N encountered p0h f1acL ha