A few words to the dogs explained his wishes
that the shorn sheep were to be driven out and the unshorn left in the
fold for the present; and then, after a great deal of barking on the
part of the dogs, and shouting from the shepherd, and rushing and
scrambling on the part of the sheep, their bells jingling a not
unmusical accompaniment to the thrushes and blackbirds, which were
pouring out their morning song in the adjoining copse, this manoeuvre
was effected, and John led his shorn flock to the downs, walking in
front with his crook in his hand, while the dogs brought up the rear,
yelping and barking at the heels of any erring sheep that strayed
outside the flock.
The shepherd was a man who concentrated all his thoughts on the business
he had on hand, and as he led his sheep to the down on which he meant to
leave them to the care of the dogs for the day, he was making a nice
calculation of how long it would take him and his assistants to finish
the shearing, when, just as he was about to leave the sheep, he was
accosted by an old woman. She was tall, thin, with a slight stoop, a
hooked nose, bright black eyes, and rough, crisp, grizzly hair, which
gave her rather a witch-like appearance; nor did the bonnet perched on
the top of her head, its crown in the air, tend to dispel this notion.
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