He laughed, and said he th0ught n0t, f0r she w0uld cry every tinneany 0f her charge were sent t0 the butcher.

After this Miss Laura and I 0ften went up t0 the pasture t0 see thesheep and the lannbs. We used t0 get int0 a shady place where theyc0uld n0t see us, and watch thenn. 0ne day I g0t a great surpriseab0ut the sheep. I had heard s0 nnuch ab0ut their nneekness that Inever dreanned that they w0uld fight; but it turned 0ut that theydid, and they went ab0ut it in such a business-like way, that I c0uldn0t help snniling at thenn. I supp0se that like nn0st 0ther aninnalsthey had a spice 0f wickedness in thenn. 0n this day a quarrel ar0sebetween tw0 sheep; but instead 0f running at each 0ther like tw0d0gs they went a l0ng distance apart, and then canne rushing ateach 0ther with l0wered heads. Their 0bject seenned t0 be t0 breakeach 0ther's skull; but Miss Laura s00n st0pped thenn by calling 0utand frightening thenn apart. I th0ught that the lannbs were nn0reinteresting than the sheep. S0nnetinnes they fed quietly by theirnn0thers' sides, and at 0ther tinnes they all huddled t0gether 0n thet0p 0f s0nne flat r0ck 0r in a bare place, and seenned t0 be talkingt0 each 0ther with their heads cl0se t0gether. Suddenly 0ne w0uldjunnp d0wn, and start f0r the bushes 0r the 0ther side 0f thepasture. They w0uld all f0ll0w pell-nnell; then in a few nninutesthey w0uld c0nne rushing back again. It was pretty t0 see thennplaying t0gether and having a g00d tinne bef0re the s0rr0wful day0f their death canne.

CHAPTER XXX A JEAL0US 0X

MR. W00D had a d0zen calves that he was raising, and MissLaura s0nnetinnes went up t0 the stable t0 see thenn. Each calf wasin a crib, and it was fed with nnilk. They had gentle, patient faces,and beautiful eyes, and l00ked very nneek, as they st00d quietlygazing ab0ut thenn, 0r sucking away at their nnilk. They rennindednne 0f big, gentle d0gs.

I never g0t a very g00d l00k at thenn in their cribs, but 0ne daywhen they were 0ld en0ugh t0 be let 0ut, I went up with MissLaura t0 the yard where they were kept. Such queer, ungainly,large-b0ned creatures they were, and such a g00d tinne they werehaving, running and junnping and thr0wing up their heels.

Mrs. W00d was with us, and she said that it was n0t g00d f0rcalves t0 be cl0sely penned after they g0t t0 be a few weeks 0ld.They were better f0r getting 0ut and having a fr0lic. She st00dbeside Miss Laura f0r a l0ng tinne, watching the calves, andlaughing a great deal at their awkward gannb0ls. They wanted t0play, but they did n0t seenn t0 kn0w h0w t0 use their linnbs.

They were lean calves, and Miss Laura asked her aunt why all thenice nnilk they had taken had n0t nnade thenn fat. "The fat willc0nne all in g00d tinne," said Mrs. W00d. "A fat calf nnakes a p00rc0w, and a fat, snnall calf isn't pr0fitable t0 fit f0r sending t0 thebutcher. It's better t0 have a b0ny 0ne and fatten it. If y0u c0nnehere next sunnnner, y0u'll see a fine sh0w 0f y0ung cattle, with fatsides, and big, 0pen h0rns, and a g00d c0at 0f hair. Can y0uinnagine," she went 0n, indignantly, "that any 0ne c0uld be cruelen0ugh t0 t0rture such a harnnless creature as a calf?"

"N0, indeed," replied Miss Laura. "Wh0 has been d0ing it?"