Lost Sheep Three sheep inflicted themselves upon us. We went
to the boundary and asked the farmer if they belonged to him, but he denied that they were of his flock. He asked about the markings, and shook his head. They did not belong to his neighbours on either side, but he would pass on the information. When the policeman came in response to a telephone-call, he looked at the sheep very expertly, explaining that his father had a hill-farm in the next county. Ear-marks and " keel" marks, he explained, indicated that the sheep had changed hands more than once, but he would soon clear up the mystery because the marks and ear-nicks were registered. A week passed. The sheep managed to break out of the corner in which we had them penned, and devoured everything from cabbages to carnations. We returned after a few days' absence and inspected the damage, expecting to see the flock of three coming in file from behind the greenhouses or along the kitchen-garden path; but the question of ownership had evidently been settled. We were without our visitors. They had left their mark on every flower-bed and a wealth of wool among the roses. '
Previous page
