GIDDY SHEEP. 61 



does not cast them, like the simple English bars, in a 

 sort of game at shuttlecock from one to the other, but 

 it " fends " them at once clean away, and hence arises 

 an annual safety of thousands of lives, for without " the 

 cow-catcher" the destruction of life and property would 

 be enormous. Pigs and sheep glance from this iron pro 

 jection as mere trifles, and on one occasion, when, in 

 pointing to a number of swine right under us, I asked 

 the conductor what happened if those animals got in the 

 way, he carelessly replied, " Guess they get cut in two.' 7 

 " Who suffers," I rejoined, " when you thus destroy pro 

 perty ? " " Guess the company smart for it; and it does 

 good to the settlers, for they get the fair price for their cat 

 tle one way, and, as they fix it in another, a precious sight 

 more than they are worth." " How do they contrive 

 that?" I asked. " Why, just as this," he replied. 

 " If these fellows (we're all pretty 'cute in this country) 

 have a worn-out cow or horse, or one that is 6 down ' and 

 can't git up no how, they just puts them on the line to 

 get 'em killed, and then they swears they were valuable 

 animals. Giddy sheep always gits afore us a-purpose; 

 them we don't care for; but now and then, at nights 

 (when we can't see 'em, and haven't the hint to increase 

 our speed), them cows and hosses, and it may be an old 

 bull, do sometimes make a considerable difficulty. Yes, 

 sir ; that's a fact ! " 



In my way to the fields and woods, and in passing the 

 thistles which grow on the sides of the rails, I saw the 

 goldfinches of America in their natural pursuits, with 

 much the same " twitter," manner of clinging to the 

 thistles, and jerking flight, but with brighter and with 

 more diffused and golden plumage than ours ; and I 

 have brought home a few of their skins for the decora- 



