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V. Departure of Bathsheba—A Pastoral Tragedy

           Totheshepherd,thenoteofthesheep-bell,likethetickingoftheclocktootherpeople,isachronicsoundthatonlymakesitselfnoticedbyceasingoralteringinsomeunusualmannerfromthewell-knownidletwinklewhichsignifiestotheaccustomedear,howeverdistant,thatalliswellinthefold.InthesolemncalmoftheawakeningmornthatnotewasheardbyGabriel,beatingwithunusualviolenceandrapidity.Thisexceptionalringingmaybecausedintwowaysbytherapidfeedingofthesheepbearingthebell,aswhentheflockbreaksintonewpasture,whichgivesitanintermittentrapidity,orbythesheepstartingoffinarun,whenthesoundhasaregularpalpitation.TheexperiencedearofOakknewthesoundhenowheardtobecausedbytherunningoftheflockwithgreatvelocity.

           Hejumpedoutofbed,dressed,toredownthelanethroughafoggydawn,andascendedthehill.Theforwardeweswerekeptapartfromthoseamongwhichthefalloflambswouldbelater,therebeingtwohundredofthelatterclassinGabriel’sflock.Thesetwohundredseemedtohaveabsolutelyvanishedfromthehill.Therewerethefiftywiththeirlambs,enclosedattheotherendashehadleftthem,buttherest,formingthebulkoftheflock,werenowhere.Gabrielcalledatthetopofhisvoicetheshepherd’scall:

           "Ovey,ovey,ovey!"

           Notasinglebleat.Hewenttothehedge;agaphadbeenbrokenthroughit,andinthegapwerethefootprintsofthesheep.

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