looked all aghast, while the
audacious offender, so far from having shown any disposition to skulk,
stood shaking his head and threatening, as if he had a mind to follow up
the dastardly attack. The squire let fly one stone, which grazed the
villain's head and killed a lamb. With the other he crippled a favorite
ewe. The ram still showed fight, and the vengeful proprietor would
probably have soon decimated his flock had not Porte Crayon (who had
been squirrel-shooting) made his appearance in time to save them.

"Quick, quick! young man--your gun; let me shoot the cursed brute on the
spot."

The squire was frantic with rage, the cause of which our hero, having
seen something of the affray, easily divined. He was unwilling, however,
to trust his hair-triggered piece in the hands of his excited host.

"By your leave, Squire, and by your orders, I'll do the shooting myself.
Which of them was it?"

"The ram--the d----d black ram--kill him--shoot--don't let him live a
minute!"

Crayon leveled his piece and fired. The offender made a bound and fell
dead, the black blood spouting from his forehead in a stream as thick as
your thumb.

"There, now," exclaimed the squire, with infinite satisfaction, "you've
got it, you ungrateful brute! You've found something harder than your
own head at last, you cursed reptile! Friend Crayon, that's a capital
gun of yours, and you shot well."

The squire dropped the stones which he had in his hands, and looking
back at the dead body of the belligerent sheep, observed, with a
thoughtful air, "He was a fine animal, Mr. Crayon--a fine animal, and
this will teach him a good lesson."

"In all likelihood," replied Crayon, dryly, "it will break him of this
trick of butting."

Not long after this occurrence, Squire Hardy went to hear an itinerant
phrenologist who lectured in the village. In the progress of his
discourse, the lecturer, for purposes of illustration, introduced the
skulls of several animals, mapped off in the most correct and scientific
manner.

"Observe, ladies and gentlemen, the head of the wolf: combativeness
enormously developed, alimentiveness large, while conscientiousness is
entirely wanting. On the other hand, look at this cranium. Here
combativeness is a nullity--absolutely wanting--while the fullness of
the sentimental organs indicate at once the mild and peaceful
disposition of the sheep."

The squire, who had listened with great attention up to this point,
hast