When Kinlay became conscious of what he had done he called back his
dog. But as he watched the sheep bounding and leaping on in their
mad course his apprehensions gave place to merriment; and when the
cheviot, with a high spring into the air, went headlong over the
precipice, followed by the smaller sheep, he burst forth into a fit
of laughter loud and uncontrolled.
"You great brute, Tom Kinlay!" exclaimed Jessie indignantly; "if
Halcro had been here you would not have done this cruel thing."
"Well," said Tom, "what for did the sheep go into our field, eating
up all the clover? Halcro should have been minding them. It serves
you right that the sheep have gone over the bank."
This, and more that I know not of, was said between them. But
Jessie wasted no time in dispute. Her concern for the poor sheep
was too great for idle discussion.
"Come away," she demanded, "and help to get the poor beasts from
the water."
"Get the sheep from the water yourself," returned Tom stubbornly;
and whistling to his dog he went homeward as though nothing unusual
had happened.
On looking over the brink of the cliff Jessie found that it would
be useless to attempt without assistance to recover any of the
sheep. Two of them she saw floating out to sea, several of them lay
apparently dead far down on the rocks.
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