THE RED COW 



rows. At the present time Sheppy lacks something 

 of his customary steam owing to a rather serious 

 blood-letting. One afternoon he came to the door 

 with blood dripping freely from the end of his tail. 

 I thought he would be competent to look after his 

 wounds, but I was mistaken. When next I looked at 

 him the blood was still flowing freely. On catching 

 him I found that he had somehow severed an artery 

 in his tail, and I had to improvise a tourniquet to 

 stop the flow. Everything was satisfactory until 

 next day, when the tight cord seemed to hurt him. He 

 worried it off^ with his teeth, and the blood started to 

 spurt again. After I had bound up his wound again 

 I started to investigate to find out how the accident 

 occurred. Happening to remember that the mowing 

 machine was standing in the barnyard, with the 

 mowing-bar in the air, I examined it. Between a 

 guard and a blade of the knife I found a bunch of 

 Sheppy's hair. Evidently when passing the mower 

 he had wagged an aff^able tail against the knife and it 

 had got caught. In getting away he almost clipped 

 a couple of inches off the end of his tail. He hasn't 

 seemed so spunky since losing so much blood, but if 

 there is anything in ancient medical lore, he prob- 

 ably stands the heat better. 



220 



