ere; and then I noticed as he were wet
through, just as I were, and looking regular wore out. 'Snarley,' he sez
to me, 'you carry your cross like a man.' 'I learnt that from you,
Master,' I sez; 'but you look as though yours had been a bit too heavy
for you this time.' 'We've had terrible work to-day,' he sez; 'we've
been dividin' the sheep from the goats. And there's no keepin' 'em
apart. We no sooner gets 'em sorted than they mixes themselves up again,
till you don't know where you are.' 'Why didn't you let me come and help
you?' I sez. 'I'd ha' brought Boxer, and he'd ha' settled 'em pretty
quick.' 'No, no,' he sez; 'your hour's not come. When I wants you, I'll
give you a sign as you can't mistake. Besides, you're not knowledgable
in goats. Feed my sheep.' 'Well,' I sez, 'when you wants me, you knows
where to find me.' 'Right,' he sez; 'but it's Toller we'll be wantin'
first. And I've been thinkin' as p'raps he'd oblige us by lettin' us
have the loan of his dog for a bit.' 'I'll go in and ask him,' I sez; 'I
don't suppose he'll have any objection.' Then 'the Shepherd' blew his
lantern out, and I see him no more that night.

"Me and the dog goes into the hut, and I could hear as Toller were fast
asleep in his bed. I begins blowin' up the embers in the fire, and when
the blaze come the old dog lay down as though he meant goin' to sleep.
But I could see as there was somethin' on his mind, for he kept cockin'
his nose up, and sniffin' and lookin' round. Then he gets up and begins
scratchin' at the door, as he allus did when he wanted to go out. So I
opens the door, and out he rushes into the dark, like a mad thing,
barkin' as though he smelt a fox.

"When I'd done what I'd come to do, I puts the brandy and the buttermilk
where they'd be handy for Shepherd Toller to get 'em, and then I goes to
the door and begins whistlin' for the dog. But no sign of him could I
hear or see, though I kep' on whistlin' for full a quarter of a' hour.
It were strange as it didn't wake Shepherd Toller, but he kep' on
sleepin' like a child in a thunderstorm. At last I give it up and shut
the door and went home. How I got back, I don't know. I can't remember
nothing till my missis catched hold on me and pulled me in through the
door."

* * * * *

"I'd never ha' been able to shoot the old dog," said Snarley, "if 'the
Shepherd' hadn't made me do it. I turned fair sick when I put the charge
in the gun, and when I