hear in the soft, wet soil. But at last
there was the sound of many pattering feet, telling that the flock was
in motion; and the suspense deepened, for the question was, "Would the
men be able to head the sheep in, or would they dash off to right or
left, avoiding the big opening through the gates as the mouth of a
trap?"

"Will they--won't they?" muttered Drummond; and Roberts, like the men in
the angle hidden by the tower on the side, held his breath.

The minutes seemed long drawn out now, as the pent-up excitement
increased; and Gedge, who was at the open window of the hospital
quarters, reached out as far as he could, his heart beating hard as he
listened, hearing the pattering quite plainly, and reporting progress to
his officer, stretched upon his pallet. For the news had penetrated to
where they were. Gedge had heard it from an ambulance sergeant, and
hurried in to Bracy.

"Hoo-roar, sir!" he said excitedly, panting hard the while. "Tell yer
direckly. It's wonderful how soon I gets out o' breath since I had my
last wound,"--the knock-down from the stone in the pass was always "my
first wound."--"The boys have captured a flock o' sheep, sir, and it's
going to be cuts out o' roast legs and hot mutton-chops for us every
day."

Bracy sighed on hearing this.

"Ah, you go like that, sir," said Gedge; "but just you wait till you
smell one o' them chops, frizzled as I'll do it, and peppered and
salted--wonder whether there is a bit o' pepper to be got."

Gedge did not get the news till the arrangements were well in progress,
and a pang of disappointment shot, through him, mingled with a longing
to go and join in the fun. But he kept his thoughts to himself, and set
to work to make his invalid participate as much as was possible by
listening and reporting all he could hear.

"Just you hark, sir; can't hear a whisper, and it's as black as can be,"
he said softly. "Hope; those chaps as they've sent won't muff it and
let the sheep get away to the mountains."

"They most likely will," sighed Bracy, who was more low-spirited than
usual that night.

"That's what I'm afraid on, sir. Can't hear nothing, sir," he said
mournfully. "Yes, I can; just a soft sort o' sound as is getting
louder. It's pitter-patter o' little feet in the mud. Yes, that's it,
sir. They're a-coming nigher and nigher. Oh! don't I wish I was out
behind 'em with a couple of those grey dogs without any tails the
drovers uses. I'd ha