First in the Field Part 45

"Why didn't you pull it out instead of coming sneaking after us?" cried Nic.

"Eh? What?" cried Brookes, staring. "'Tain't my place to look after they sheep. Leatherhead was set to do it, and he goes on neglecting his work. Ah! here comes the master. Now we shall see."

For the doctor was coming cantering toward them over the level ground from about a quarter of a mile away, and Nic felt vexed and in dread of what was to follow.

"Is it hurt, Leather?" he said.

"Yes, sir, badly--its leg's broken," replied the man; and bending down, he placed his arms round the poor animal, raised it up on to his shoulder, and began to climb with difficulty out of the rift. As he reached the edge he nearly slipped back.

"Why don't you help?" cried Nic angrily; but Brookes did not stir; and if the boy had not darted forward and got a good pull of the wool, man and sheep would have toppled backward to the bottom.

"Thank you, sir," said the convict. "There's no foothold, and I lost my balance. One moment. That's it;" and the sheep was rolled off his shoulder on to the gra.s.s.

"What's the matter?" cried the doctor, cantering up, leaping down, and throwing the reins over his horse's head on to the gra.s.s, when the beautiful animal stood still.

"One o' the best ewes down in that grip. I come and found it just now."

"Yes, but you didn't try to get it out," said Nic.

"It warn't in my charge," growled Brookes.

"How was this, my man?" said the doctor. "You were set to look after them."

"Yes, sir," said the convict respectfully. "The sheep were all right a quarter of an hour ago."

"Yes, and they'd ha' been all right now if you'd looked arter them 'stead o' wasting your time fis.h.i.+ng," growled Brookes. "I'm glad master's here to know."

"Were you fis.h.i.+ng, sir?" said the doctor sternly; but before Leather could answer Nic cried quickly:

"No, father, he wasn't. He came down to the river to get me a few baits. I wanted him there. Why didn't Brookes help the sheep out?"

"Because it was the other man's duty, sir," said the doctor quickly; and Leather gave the boy a sharp look, as much as to say, "Don't speak, sir; you'll make things worse."

"Ah, you needn't signal the young master to take yer part," cried Brookes. "It's true enough; you ain't worth your salt on the station."

"That will do, Brookes," said the doctor.

"Oh, I don't want to say nothing, sir. I was only looking arter your property."

"Tut, tut, tut!" cried the doctor, as he felt the sheep's leg. "One of my choicest ewes. The leg's broken. That active sheep couldn't have broken its leg through falling down there. It would have jumped it like a goat. Why, Leather, the poor brute has been savagely kicked."

"It looks like it, sir," said the convict quietly.

"Why, so it do," chimed in Brookes, as he bent over the helpless sheep.

"Do you know anything of it, sir?" cried the doctor, eyeing the convict keenly.

The man shook his head.

"It's very strange," said the doctor, looking at Brookes, who took off his hat, scratched his head, and looked round at the convict, while Nic glanced at Brookes's boots and then at the poor sandal-like shoes the convict wore, which were evidently a piece of his own work.

"Like me to kill the poor thing out of its misery, sir," said Brookes, "and take off its skin?"

"No," said the doctor shortly.

"Won't be nothin' the matter with the meat, sir."

"Nic," said his father, "jump on the horse and ride home. Ask your mother to give you a roll of bandage, and bring it back here."

"Yes, father."

"Why, you ain't going to bind that 'ere leg up, are ver?" said Brookes.

"Will you be good enough not to interrupt?" said the doctor. "Here, hi, Nic, my boy. Tell Samson to give you a sack and an axe. You can throw the sack across the horse."

"Yes, father," cried the boy; and he cantered off, obtained the bandage and sack, and was back in less than an hour, to find that Leather had, under the doctor's directions, cut some pieces of wood from a tree, and with these for splints the doctor cleverly bandaged the broken leg.

"There, Nic," he said, "I should not do that in a regular way, but this is a very valuable sheep, brought out to me by one of the last s.h.i.+ps.

Now one of you cut a good stout pole, say twelve feet long."

Brookes looked at Leather, who caught up the axe and ran off.

While he was gone the doctor opened a part of the bottom of the sack, and cut four slits in the side; and this being done, Nic looked on in surprise while the sack was drawn over the struggling sheep's head, its head pulled out of the bottom, and the legs put through the four slits.

"Now gather the sack together so that the poor brute cannot struggle out, Brookes," said the doctor; and this was easily effected, as the animal was upon its side.

Then the doctor made holes and laced up the mouth of the sack securely, all but a few inches; and by this time Leather was back with a stout, neatly trimmed pole.

"Do you see what I mean?" said the doctor.

"Yes, sir," replied the convict, and he slipped the pole through the sack above the sheep's back, leaving about four feet out at each end.

"Now, Brookes, take the other end," said the doctor; "lift together, and get the pole on your shoulders, both of you."

"What, and carry that lame sheep home?" said Brookes.

"Yes; and its legs must not touch the ground."

"But hadn't you better let us chuck it across the back of the horse?"

"No. Now, together. Lift," cried the doctor; and as this was done the sheep gave a dismal bleat, and hung from the pole, with its head and legs out,--a ridiculous-looking object, which made Nic smile, but Brookes's face made the smile expand, so soured and puckered did it become, for the sheep was heavy, the farm buildings were some distance away, and the sun was coming down hot as the two men strode away, Leather looking heavy and stern, but apparently ready to undertake any amount of work.

"You can ride, Nic," said the doctor, as the boy fetched up the horse.

"But my fis.h.i.+ng-rod and line, father?"

"Where are they?"