One had fallen on a
projecting part of the cliff, and others, instead of jumping over
the edge, had run down a narrow pathway, and, though not injured,
stood in danger from the fact that they could neither proceed nor
turn back without falling.
Near as she was to Crua Breck, however, Jessie would not go thither
to seek the help she needed. Hurrying towards the croft of
Mouseland she saw two men at work in one of the fields, and they
readily laid down their spades and, after procuring a long rope,
went back with her to the Lyre Geo. Before sunset they were able to
recover the bodies of the animals that had fallen among the rocks,
as well as to rescue the sheep that were still alive.
This had all taken place before Thora and I had come up from the
Gaulton Cave; and as we turned from the head of the cliff to go
home a cart was passing along the moor conveying the dead and
injured sheep to Lyndardy--the sheep which only a few hours before
we had all so hopefully counted upon selling at Martinmas.
Sadly did we contemplate the poor remnant of the flock, and guilty
did I feel for having left the sheep unattended. At first my mother
blamed me sorely for what I had done; but when we talked the matter
over it seemed not so much my own fault in leaving the sheep (for
that had been done many a time before), but Kinlay's neglect in
leaving open the gate of the clover field, and Tom's inhuman
conduct in driving the sheep over the cliff.
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