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were watching these ewes one evening, in the primrose time, when Clutch, who had never kept his eyes off them that day, said—

“‘Brother, there is wool to be had on their backs.’

“‘It is too little to keep them warm,’ said Kind. ‘The east wind still blows sometimes—’ but Clutch was off to the cottage for the bag and shears.

“Kind was grieved to see his brother so covetous, and to divert his mind he looked up at the great hills: it was a sort of comfort to him, ever since their losses began, to look at them evening and morning. Now their far-off heights were growing crimson with the setting sun, but as he looked, three creatures like sheep scoured up a cleft in one of them as fleet as any deer; and when Kind turned, he saw his brother coming with the bag and shears, but not a single ewe was to be seen. Clutch’s first question was, what had become of them; and when Kind told him what he saw, the eldest brother scolded him with might and main for ever lifting his eyes off them—

“‘Much good the hills and the sunset will do us,’ said he, ‘now that we have not a single sheep. The other shepherds will hardly give us room among them at shearing time or harvest; but for my part, I’ll not stay on this plain to be despised