150 NATURE IN DOWNLAND 



great forest fowl, or eagle, or giant ibis, or rail, or 

 courlan, in some far land where great birds with 

 glorious voices have not all been extirpated. 



It was nice to hear, but it surprised me that all 

 that outcry, heard over an area of seven or eight 

 square miles, was necessary. At a distance of a mile 

 I watched her, and saw that she had no dog, that her 

 flock, numbering nine hundred, travelled a good deal, 

 being much distressed by thirst, as all the dew ponds 

 in that part of the downs were dry. When her far- 

 sounding cries failed to make them turn then she had 

 to go after them, and her activity and fleetness of 

 foot were not less remarkable than her ringing voice ; 

 but I pitied her doing a man and dog's work in that 

 burning weather, and towards evening on my way 

 home I paid her a visit. She was a rather lean but 

 wiry-looking girl, just over fifteen years old, with an 

 eager animated face, dark skin and blackish fuzzy hair 

 and dark eyes. She was glad to talk and explain it 

 all, and had a high-pitched but singularly agreeable 

 voice and spoke rapidly and well. The shepherd had 

 been called away, and no shepherd boy could be found 

 to take his place : all the men were harvesting, and 

 the flock had been given into her charge. The shep- 

 herd had left his dog, but he would not obey her: 

 she had taken him out several days, leading him 

 by a cord, but no sooner would she release him 

 than he would run home, and so she had given up 

 trying. 



