lly a mile; we first crossed their hay
fields, then a cow pasture and then a belt of woodland, through which
ran a cart road. Gradually ascending a considerable slope of the
woodland, we came out upon the cleared crest of a long ridge. This was
the "back pasture;" it was inclosed by a high hedge fence, made of
short, dry, spruce shrubs. This fence we climbed, and then Edgar began
calling the sheep,--"Ca-day, ca-day, ca-day, ca-day," stopping at
intervals to give me various items of information as to their flock and
the extent of the pasture. The Murches, who lived on the farm next
beyond the Wilburs, pastured their sheep with them, in this same back
pasture; they had a flock of thirty-eight, while the Wilburs had
thirty-three, but there were over a hundred lambs. Every spring the two
farmers and the boys repaired, or rebuilt, the high hedge fence in
company. The pasture was of seventy-five acres extent, Edgar said; but
it was much broken by crags and grown up to patches of dark, low spruce.

Altogether it was a very wild locality, wholly inclosed by somber
forests; and from the top of one of the ledges, which I climbed, I could
see no cleared land, far or near, save on the side next to their farms,
and that at quite a distance. This ledge, I recollect, had a vein of
white quartz running across it, displaying at one point a trace of
rose-color; and I remember thinking that some time I would come here and
break out specimens of this handsome stone.

At length in response to Ned's calls, we heard a faint _ba-a-a_, toward
the north end of the pasture, and going in that direction, past a number
of spruce copses and many other ledges, we came in sight of the flock of
sheep, feeding in a hollow near a spring. A great mob of lambs were
following their mothers and frisking about the rocks; and there was one
black sheep and one black lamb which, at first sight, I thought were
dogs or some other animals. "That black sheep is Murches'," Ned said.
"She's got two lambs; but that black lamb is in our flock. There's South
Down blood in a good many of them. You can tell the South Downs by their
black fore legs and smut faces. There's fifteen pairs of twins in our
flock and about as many in Murches'. Ca-day, ca-day, ca-day."

Catching sight of us and the salt pail, the flock now came crowding
eagerly about us. The ovine odor was very strong. Black flies troubled
the poor creatures grievously, and another larger, evil-looking fly was
bu