'< 



Wully 



but he escaped. Not having a stick, I flung a 

 large stone at him. He leaped forward and the 

 stone struck him in the ham, bowling him over 

 into a ditch. He gasped out a savage growl 

 as he fell, but scrambled out of the ditch and 

 limped away in silence. 



Yet sullen and ferocious as Wully was to the 

 world, he was always gentle with Dorley's 

 sheep. Many were the tales of rescues told of 

 him. Many a poor lamb that had fallen into 

 a pond or hole would have perished but for his 

 ^Pj^sis timely and sagacious aid, many a far-weltered 



P%^>^ ewe did he turn right side up ; while his keen 



** eye discerned and his fierce courage baffled 



every eagle that had appeared on the moor in 

 his time. 



Ill 



The Monsaldale farmers were still paying 

 their nightly tribute to the Mad Fox, when the 

 snow came, late in December. Poor Widow 

 Gelt lost her entire flock of twenty sheep, and 

 the fiery cross went forth early in the morning. 

 With guns unconcealed the burly farmers set 

 out to follow to the finish the tell-tale tracks in 



294 





