SHEEP-HUNTING i8i 



and " larded the lean earth " in the most generous 

 manner. 



When I came up I found the sheep perched on a 

 little pinnacle of rock, and the hound baying furi- 

 ously below. Poor little beast, I pitied it. It was 

 only about three months old, and it looked very 

 forlorn ; it was very slightly wounded also, a fact 

 which I did not know before. I went up to it and 

 patted it, and the poor little creature did not seem 

 much frightened, and did not mind my touching it 

 a bit ; but it would not follow me. It was too 

 much afraid of the dog, I fancy. I did not know 

 what to do. I wanted to keep it alive, for a tame 

 sheep is somewhat of a rarity. I was afraid to 

 leave it alone while I went for a wagon, and I was 

 afraid of leaving the hound to watch it, lest he 

 should run in upon it and kill it during my ab- 

 sence. So I concluded to pack it into the ranch 

 on my back. A nice job I had of it. The little 

 animal was as strong as a donkey, and kicked and 

 walloped about all the time. It was as much as 

 I could do to keep it on my shoulders. By that 

 time the forenoon was far spent, and the sun was 

 pouring down with tropical strength. I don't 

 know which of us was most exhausted by the time 

 we got to the house. However, I was none the 



