h after they have learned each other's
voices. But at first they don't know that, and it takes them a little
time to get it into their minds. That's when a herder has got trouble
to keep things from getting mixed up. And if she has twins she has got
to learn them both by heart."

"That's so--she would, would n't she!"

"Oh, yes. And twins learn to know each other, too. That's so they can
go home to dinner together. For of course if she let one of them come
alone it would n't be fair."

"Then sheep know that much!"

"I don't know that they do. I guess it's nature that tends to that,
too. But there's a lot that nature is too busy to tend to. Then it's
all up to the herder."

"Lambs are really quite dependent upon human care, then, are n't they?"

"Oh, yes. That is, if you want to try and save them all--like that
one." He pointed to the occupant of her lap. "A lamb has got to get a
meal right away, and a little sleep, and not get too chilled, or wet.
Then if his mother and him stick together till they know each other by
voice and smell, his chances are all right. After that you could n't
lose him."

"How long will it be, Mr. Brown, before everything is running that way?"

"It will start in just a few days. Just as soon as we get the lamb
band going."

"The lamb band?" she queried.

"We have some lambs there in the corral now. Well, all that come
to-morrow will go in with them, and in a day or two all that are strong
and active will go out with their mothers and be the lamb band. All
the others that have n't dropped lambs yet are called the drop band;
they travel too much for lambs. Sheep with lambs ought to go out
together and be handled separate. Well, whenever a lamb is born in the
drop band, he is brought home to the corral; then when he knows things
and is a little stronger he goes out with the lamb band; that way we
keep advancing them right along, same as in school. First in the First
Reader, then in the Second Reader, and so on."

"Oh, I see," said Janet, growing more deeply interested.

"And it is n't very long, of course, till they have all gone through
and are in one band again. The lambs are all having a high old time
and managing for themselves; and then one man can handle them again.
The worst of the trouble is over, and there are not so many things to
do all at once."

This seemed to exhaust the subject.

"What are you going to do to-morrow?" she inquired.

"Well, if I