Page 77 (1/1)

Shock turned his face away fro scraps of

wood, cinder, and dirt into the fire, with his head bent down; and

though I tried in all kinds of ways to get hiave hiht, just before going to bed, Old Browns-sheds to fetch the slate, which had been forgotten It

was dark and starlight, for the wind had risen and the rain had been

swept away

I found the slate after fu a little about the bench, and was on -shed when I heard a curious

rustling in the loft overhead, followed by a thu had fallen, and then a heavy breathing could be heard--a

regular heavy breathing that was al, and then, feeling very

uncomfortable, I stole out, ran into the house, and stood before Old

Browns the matter?" he said

"There's so-shed--asleep," I said

hoarsely

"In the loft!" he said quickly "Oh! it is only Shock He often sleeps

there You'll find his nest in ah, when I had the curiosity next o up the ladder

and look in the loft, there was Shock's nest deep down ast the , and some of

these were evidently used to cover hi that if I were Old Browns and sleep of a night, and try whether I could

noton snails

and hedgehogs and other odds and ends that he picked up in the fields