Year: 1875

road, and pretty soon the steps were
accompanied by a whistle that he knew
belonged to John Croft. The sound of
it made Tom desperate. He flung his
hat in the woolly monsters face, and
then gave an awful leap in the opposite
direction. But the sheep wasn't to be
fooled so easily. Before Tom had gone
two rods the horns of the watchful ami
NAL struck him forcibly in the rear, and
sent him sprawling down the hill at
least Ten feet. He saw stars in all di-
rections. He lay there for a minute or
two, fully believing that his back was
broke. Then he tried TO get up, but at
the first indication of getting up on the
part of his victim the sheep drew back,
shaking his head, and giving vent to
threatening sounds that warned Tom
it was safer for him to lay still.


And lay there he did for six or seven
of the longest hours he ever knew.
More than once he made desperate ef-
forts to get on his feet, but the sheep
never left his post. When Tom stirred,
he was up and ready to renew the rather
one-sided battle. To Tom that side was
a rather bruised and sore one.


The moon came up by and by, and
everything was light as day, when he
heard John Croft coming back, and he
knew by his jubilant whistle that it was
all right between him and Clara. He
lay still, hoping his rival would pass by
without seeing him.


But John had seen him cup stump
when he went by on his way to the
mansion of his beloved, and hadn't the
least idea of going by now.


''Hulloa." he called out, stopping by
the fence and looking over. "Who's
that?"


''This confOunded old brute has nearly
killed me, | swear I'll kill him, if l
hang for it,"


''Let me helpyOu out of your trouble, +"
said John.


And he climbed on the fence to attract
the attention of the sheep, who charged
valiantly at him, thus giving Tom a
chance to make his escape.


81 want you to come to my wedding
i'm about month. Clara'll send you an
invitation, too" said John, when Tom
was safely i'm the road. 81 hope you
won't feel sore tomorrow. Good night. y


Tom felt sore in more ways than one
already. He said good night in not
very gracious mood, and waited until
his lucky rival was out of sight, then,
with stern determination in his eyes, he
began to carry stones together in a cor
ner of a fence, while the sheep, who
had been the cause of so much trouble,
stood on the other side watching him.


When he had accumulated quite a
collection of geological specimens, he
began operations. He climbed on the
fence with as big a stone as he could
handle. and waited for good opportu-
nifty. The sheep evidently thought he
was defying him, for he charged into
the fence. and down dropped the stone
on the back of his head, stunning him.


Tom fairly shouted in exultation. He
jumped down and pounded the poor
sheep with that stone until he was half
dead, calling him an old brute and other
names equally expressive. When the
animal was nearly exhausted by this
new style of warfare, Tom got rail
and managed to get it fastened in the
fence like lever, and then dragged the
bewildered sheep up to it and inserted
his neck between it and another rail.


'I've got you now," chuckled Tom,
bearing down on the death-dealing in
strument he had devised. ''Ill bet you
won't knock anybody else down, you
old fool"


For fifteen minutes he kept it in the
same position. At the end of that time
the sheep was very nearly gone to the
spirit world and Tom had his revenge.