rton received it, coughed, and hurried out to the sheep-fold, followed
by her accomplices.

To catch a sheep was not difficult, for the animals were all more or
less tame and accustomed to gentle treatment by the females, but to hold
it was quite another thing. Mrs Merton secured it by the head, Mrs
Scholtz laid hold of the tail, and Mrs Brook fastened her fingers in
the wool of its back. Each female individually was incapable of holding
the animal, though a very small one had been purposely selected, but
collectively they were more than a match for it. After a short struggle
it was laid on its side, and its feet were somewhat imperfectly secured
with a pocket-handkerchief.

"Now, ma'am," cried Mrs Scholtz, holding tight to the tail and shutting
her eyes, "do be quick."

Mrs Merton, also shutting her eyes, struck feebly with the knife. The
others, having likewise shut their eyes, waited a few seconds in a state
of indescribable horror, and then opened them to find that the Spartan
lady had missed her mark, and planted her weapon in the ground! So
feeble, however, had been the stroke that it had barely penetrated an
inch of the soil.

"Oh, Mrs Merton!" exclaimed Mrs Brook remonstratively.

Mrs Merton tried again more carefully, and hit the mark, but still
without success.

"It _won't_ go in!" she gasped, as, on opening her eyes a second time,
she found only a few drops of blood trickling from a mere scratch in the
sheep's neck; "I--I _can't_ do it!"

At that moment the unfortunate animal suddenly freed its head from the
Spartan matron's grasp. A sharp wriggle freed its tail and feet, and in
another moment it burst away from its captors and made for a shallow
pond formed by Edwin Brook for a colony of household ducks.

Roused to excessive indignation by the weakness and boastfulness of Mrs
Merton, Mrs Scholtz sprang to her feet and gave chase. The others
joined. Hunger, shame, determination, disappointment, combined to give
them energy of purpose. The sheep rushed into the pond. Mrs Scholtz
recklessly followed--up to the knees--caught it by the horns, and
dragged it forth.

"Give me the knife!" she shouted.

Mrs Merton hurriedly obeyed, and the nurse, shutting her eyes, plunged
it downwards with a wild hysterical shriek.

There was no mistake this time. Letting the animal go, she fled,
red-handed, into the innermost recess of the cottage, followed by her
horrified friends.

"Oh! what _have_ I do