Wehavenotsofartoclimbtocometoshepherds;anditmaybeI
hadoneforanascendantwhohaslargelymouldedme.ButyetI
thinkIowemytasteforthathillsidebusinessrathertotheartandinterestofJohnTodd.Heitwasthatmadeitliveforme，astheartistcanmakeallthingslive.Itwasthroughhimthesimplestrategyofmassingsheepuponasnowyevening，withitsattendantscamperingofearnest，shaggyaides—de—champ，wasanaffairthatI
neverweariedofseeing，andthatIneverwearyofrecallingtomind：theshadowofthenightdarkeningonthehills，inscrutableblackblotsofsnowshowermovinghereandtherelikenightalreadycome，huddlesofyellowsheepanddartingsofblackdogsuponthesnow，abitterairthattookyoubythethroat，unearthlyharpingsofthewindalongthemoors;andforcentrepiecetoallthesefeaturesandinfluences，Johnwindingupthebrae，keepinghiscaptain’seyeuponallsides，andbreaking，everandagain，intoaspasmofbellowingthatseemedtomaketheeveningbleaker.ItisthusthatIstillseehiminmymind’seye，perchedonahumpofthedeclivitynotfarfromHalkerside，hisstaffinairyflourish，hisgreatvoicetakingholduponthehillsandechoingterrortothelowlands;I，meanwhile，standingsomewhatback，untilthefitshouldbeover，and，withapinchofsnuff，myfriendrelapseintohiseasy，evenconversation.
CHAPTERVII.THEMANSE