JUNE 215 



half dragged through the open hurdle to the malevolent-looking 

 person who, like one of the Roman Fates, is waiting for her with 

 the shears. He seizes her, and with an adroit and practised 

 movement causes her to sit upon her tail, in which position most 

 ewes look extraordinarily foolish. Now she struggles no more, 

 nor does she make any noise ; indeed, in watching the operations 

 this morning I was put very forcibly in mind of the prophetic 

 verse in Isaiah : ' As a sheep before her shearers is dumb.' 



The operator begins his task in the region of the belly, working 

 gradually round towards the back until it is necessary to turn the 

 animal on to her side, when he ties the fore and hind leg together 

 with a thin cord. In the case of old and experienced ewes I am 

 sure that they understand what is happening to them, as they look 

 quite contented and struggle little indeed, the shearers say that 

 this is so. The moment that the thing is done which seems to 

 prove it they spring up with blitheness, and, rushing from the 

 barn, begin to bite hungrily at the grass outside. 



It is funny to watch the behaviour of the lambs that are wait- 

 ing without. One by one they approach the escaped ewe, till at 

 last its own offspring finds her. It takes a lamb a while, however, 

 to convince itself that this strange, naked-looking creature is in truth 

 its dear mamma ; indeed, not until it has smelt her all round, and, 

 thankful to find that something is left, knelt down, and with an air 

 of relief helped itself to refreshment, does conviction conquer 

 doubt. The ewes often seem to resent these suspicions ; probably 

 their tempers, having been tried to breaking-point, will bear no 

 further strain. 



The shearers who make up these travelling gangs are very in- 

 telligent men, moving as they do from place to place, seeing much 

 and knowing everybody. Also, as might be expected from the 

 nature of their trade, they are capital gossips. I asked one of 

 them if a certain person who owns a great flock of sheep was a 

 good farmer. 



' Oh, he puts it in and takes it out,' answered the old gentleman 

 enigmatically. 



