The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-08-03

hardly ual, ,ut his rslher striking fsee,
tu. il ceHAlnly sho Esd force ard decltiao.
MI. Chrisly 81 nsec sec ded 60 ou' re-
guest for Keep, sni led the ssy sos lsfge.
x.n tsntet pAsiuie, where several sle,s
Ned Il yourg stock wer. quietly feeding.
:, mo ,ouns harses Ia The fatmyafd also
ba~ "a hat hes w.ie no common breed.
Bu porh,ps notbirg sboaI the premise, 10
ihe way Of sfuek spres'ed to me quite 20
strorgly ~ the msgn tiAnt dog that 80.
compsnlrd his mss,sr. and watched his
eyery moy mepi, as II sishire 10 iorestsll
hi, command. even before they were spok
ea. he wss true c'llie, beautifully
msrhed.
Hitherto had Rlwsys been willlrg to
match nv faithful Bets far intelligence
ssaiust ali comefs but was siready oon.
vineed that here was little more than ber
equal,
We turned the sheep into the pasture,
the tall farmer eying the sheep critically
srd giving fresh proof OF biz lnowledge Of
,tl,od' sud fine breed " by singling out
ard commenting upon tho handsome mer.
mos US they passed through the bars. lie
even pointed out witha motion Of bis bard
the few that | had already decided to be
slightly the best,
A storm was coming up, aud we returned
TO the house. Jost before lght shut down
there was smart elstter Of hoofs, and a
Young lady csptered sharply by toward the
barns, riding a bay pony. The face OF our
host lighted rp suddenly, and there WIS a
world OF 81 tc'ion In his tone when he pre-
sently introduced, my granddaughter
Eta Christy.n
had escaped entirely hesrt-whole until
then, bat The old drover paused, a
smile on his bluff, pleasant face, and for a
few moments seemed plunged In pleasant
introspectior
was asir early the next morning, she
went on, settled with Chiisty, and soon
sfter breakfast we had our sheep on the
rosd.
Bets drove them carefully out Of the
pasture as usual, and as usual Tim and !
each counted them. There were lst one
hundred and eighty.nirel -Four were miss
ing, There was no mistake. We each had
the same COUNT precisely. And ! think,
said Tim, suddenly, that the missing sheep
are meripo.!
Ons seconds reflection was sure he
was right Sending Bets ahead to hold the
drove, we quickly canvassed the lot. -Four
Of the meIlnos were gone
That was setback for me, can tell
you could not Ia the slightest degree
account for it. knew they bal not been
left in the pasture, could trust Bets for
that Even had they been caught in some
thicket, she would have Motif me; and
had they broken out | was certain they
or field there was no sign n the animals.
did some bard thinking then, but with
out much result. II the sheep had been
stolen. az began to believe, 1t was still
how the few could have been sep
arsted from the f ck so q1ietly that still
night as not to arouse even the vigilant
Bets.
More than once turned to 90 back and
lay the matter before Christy, but each
time resolved-1 tuld hardly tell why
to .ay nothing to him, But at the first
farmhouse stopped ard left directions for
informing me should any strays be dscov-
cred in that vicinity. The farmer, an hon
est-lookiog old fellow, regarded me Curl
ously. Lost lot O. sheep, heyF
Only four
Been stoppin' over with Old Man
Chrstys
Yts.
The old fellow looked at me q1'zz'cslly.
opened hi mouth as i to say somethifg e.
then shut II with = comicsl snap and sid,
hastilr, Yes, I'll notify ye " ace them
strays Kind o. sbowery, sin'S is
We stopped that night at the place we
had hoped TO reach the evening before II
hsd taken day to make the loop that
enabled US to cross Fisky Creek.
Just before we stopped we met hand
some pair Of erays, coming along a.
spanking gait and driven by--l was come
4hst surprised ,ur host Of the night be
fore.
In hls demdc rat wagon WAS nes
crate, containing q pair Of Berkshire pigs
lusty fellows, apparently thoroughbred
o. the seat beside his master wss tn
splendid collie, alert and keen-eyed No ever
Ch,isty did not fail to step to admire thu
merinos and comment upon their q ne qnal
tiles. driving on presently In the direction
OF his farm. Ard still | sald nothing sbou
the loss of the sheep.
was awake early the next morning, ,snt
With a preseptmcnt OF further evil. As soor
az It was light | strollsd out to the pasture
" here the sheep had been placed. soor
made out the merlnos q iietiy feeding toge
ther. fairly gssped as | counted them
There we're last slxteeD Three more wer'
missing.
For few minutes WAS sick en- ough.
considered my reputation and pro'pectI
pretty well blasted. Then | begsn to get
angry. sleo inside sudden resolution
Routing Tim fu', gave in few dirsc
tion and begged ias'y lutch masking fuei
excuses ss could. then harnessed Rob
cur reasoned droye.borse, train to lead
sta d or follow, 10 our light 'skeleton, a.
with Bets between ny hteV, WAS sooi
taking the back track straight to the Chris
ty plscr.
Sturdy old Bob took the road In grant
shape. xnd lifted me over the lorg, lone
come ,tretcb with tush. II WIS stil
quite early shep reached the vicinity e
tbc Chris,y farm. ard leaving Rob and Bet
in a ,uu. tiiessr, started forward on foot
I ,sx ...,.- ga al fss sp,rpuaIro a