132 SHEEP WASHING. 



but without a particle of real malice in his composition. 

 As he was busy throwing sheep to the washer^ a young 

 fellow from the neighboring village happened that way, and 

 becoming somewhat interested in the process, was seduced 

 by Tom G r , inside of the yard, to try his hand at catch- 

 ing and tossing in sheep. About the second or third one 

 he operated upon, his treacherous friend stumbled against 

 him, giving him a tremendous push, and with a sheep in 

 his arms he drove head foremost among the washers. The 

 water was cold, and there was a good deal of puffing and 

 blowing about the time his head came above the surface. 

 He was a sensible chap, and took the joke as a wise man 

 should, especially when the odds are all against him, albeit, 

 it was somewhat rude. 



" He came out on the other side of the stream, and after 

 joining in the laugh against himself, and taking off and wring- 

 ing his garments, he wandered up to the apron of the old 

 dam, and stretching himself along the planks, went to looking 

 anxiously down into the deep water. After a while, he seemed 

 to have discovered something, and called out to his friend 

 below, ' I say Tom, have you got a fishhook in your pocket ? 

 Here is a trout that will weigh two pounds, and I want to 

 hook him up.' Now Tom was a fisherman, and a big trout 

 was his weakness ; moreover, he was never without half 

 a dozen hooks and lines in his pockets. He left his business 

 at once, and went up to the apron to assist in taking the 

 two-pound trout. A pole was cut, and a couple of feet of 

 line, with a hook attached, was fastened a little way from 



