SOME DEPREDATIONS 295 



joys, they left the big woods and faced the open. 

 Then for about a quarter of an hour they fairly 

 raced, and then we saw they were going to run 

 into something, which just saved its life by jump- 

 ing over the half door of a cow-house, which one of 

 the farm lads quickly closed. For we had been 

 running a sheep-dog for that quarter of an hour, 

 and a rare gallop it was, I can tell you. Then the 

 Master drew up and addressed the half-score of us 

 who had ridden through the run. " Gentlemen," 

 said he, " there is nothing for you to do but to go 

 home and keep silent." Somehow or other it 

 never oozed out that we had had a good gallop 

 after a dog, and we could never account for the 

 circumstance, and the pack was a particularly 

 steady one. 



In the meantime I would advise all those 

 gentlemen who have sheep or lambs destroyed by 

 foxes, to search for the dog. 



