52 NATURE NEAR LONDON. 



with a crook; but near town the pastoral staff is 

 common. 



These flocks appear to be on their way to the 

 southern down farms, and, as I said before, the 

 shepherds are tender over their sheep and careful 

 not to press them. I regret that I cannot say the 

 same about the bullocks, droves of which continually 

 go by, often black cattle, and occasionally even the 

 little Highland animals. The appearance of some of 

 these droves is quite sufficient to indicate the treat- 

 ment they have undergone. Staring eyes, heads 

 continually turned from side to side, starting at 

 everything, sometimes bare places on the shoulders, 

 all tell the same tale of blows and brutal treatment. 



Suburban streets which a minute before were 

 crowded with ladies and children (most gentlemen are 

 in town at mid-day) are suddenly vacated when the 

 word passes that cattle are coming. People rush every- 

 where, into gardens, shops, back lanes, anywhere, as 

 if the ringing scabbards of charging cavalry were 

 heard, or the peculiar thumping rattle of rifles as 

 they come to the "present " before a storm of bullets. 

 It is no wonder that townsfolk exhibit a fear of 

 cattle which makes their friends laugh when they 

 visit the country after such experiences as these. 

 This should be put down with a firm hand. 



By the roadside here the hay tyers, who cut up the 

 hayricks into trusses, use balances a trifling matter, 

 but sufficient to mark a difference, for in the west 

 such men use a steelyard slung on a prong, the 

 handle of the prong on the shoulder and the points 

 stuck in the rick, with which to weigh the trusses. 



