APRIL 147 



time all the flock, sheep and lambs together, were driven into the 

 All Hallows barn, and the farrier arrived in a cart as per appoint- 

 ment. Half the barn was hurdled off, and behind the hurdles 

 the mob of them stood wondering. Then, with the assistance of 

 various boys who always assemble upon such an occasion, very 

 much as in Africa I have seen the vultures, led by instinct, gather 

 together round wounded game, the ewes and those of the lambs 

 upon which, as the fattest and finest, the butcher had already set 

 his seal, amidst a frantic baa-ing and confusion, were one by one 

 ejected through a hurdle hinged by means of a rope and stood ajar. 

 Out they rushed, all of them knocking their shins against 

 the weather-board of the door, and leaving behind them the little 

 mob of doomed lambkins. Then the veterinary, who, should he 

 ever peruse these lines, will, I trust, not be offended if I describe 

 him as a peculiarly skilful and benevolent-looking young gentle- 

 man, said in a soft and sympathetic voice, 'Small ones first, 

 please.' 



So a ' small one ' was procured by an eager youth and presented 

 to the surgeon with its ears drooped and its tail pointing to the 

 skies, which tail he felt in a contemplative and almost dreamy 

 fashion, as though he were sampling a piece of cloth. Still in the 

 same mild voice, he asked for the * large knife, please,' and it was 

 handed to him, a formidable-looking weapon. Next there was a 

 single swift and adroit motion of the arm and off flew about six 

 inches of tail. This was the beginning of a perfect saturnalia of 

 tail-cutting and other operations, at which, as the sight was not 

 agreeable, I did not long assist. 



About a couple of hours later, however, the whole flock re- 

 appeared on the back lawn ; but now those that were marked for 

 the butcher and rejoiced prematurely excepted there was little 

 of their playful skip left in the unfortunate lambs. They lay 

 about in knots or singly, for they were too stiff to walk, but I 

 noticed that some of them nibbled such grass as they could reach. 

 I hope that they may soon recover, though, myself, I believe that 

 all this cutting about has been put off too late. However, the 



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