"Yes, miss, the dogs will look after 'em," and, calling a command to the intelligent collies, he advanced toward Cora's car.
"Well, there's just a hundred and ten, miss. I had a hundred and 'leven, but one died on me," the man explained.
"What is this--a class in arithmetic?" inquired Jack, who had left his car and come up to where his sister sat in hers.
"And how much farther does this road go before----"
"The road doesn't go--it stays right here!" chuckled her brother.
"Stop it!" she commanded in such a tone that he knew she meant it.
"How far before there is a cross-road into which you could turn your sheep?" went on Cora, fixing the man with what Jack said afterward was "a cold and fishy glance."
"I thought so. Then we'd have to tag along behind you all that distance, losing time, and----"
"To say nothing of swallowing all that dust!" exclaimed Belle, pointing to a cloud of it that hung over the flock of sheep, which the dogs were skillfully herding. "Oh, it's awful!"
"That's why I've thought of a way out," spoke Cora.
"Then _out_ with it, Sis!" exclaimed the irrepressible Jack. Once more his sister turned her attention to him--this time it was only a look, but it sufficed.
"Do you see that field over there?" asked Cora of the sheep man, pointing to one rich and luxuriant in deep, green grass.
"Yes, miss, I see it," and he pointed with the stem of his pipe to be sure he made no mistake.
"Yes. Well, now, could you take your sheep in there, and keep them--er--quiet--until we passed in our autos. You see it is impossible for us to get by on the road, for even if you did get the animals to one side one might leap out, under the wheels of a car and there would be an accident."
"I see, miss. The sheep might be killed."
"Yes, and we'd be wrecked," growled Jack. "What's the game, Sis? If we stay here much longer that dinner will be eaten by some one else."
"Be quiet Jack--please! Now could you not drive your sheep into the field?" she asked. "Then we could get past. Of course we might turn around and go back to some other road, but it would delay us. Could you?"
Certainly no mere man could withstand the appealing glance thrown at this humble sheep herder. He capitulated.
"I guess I could do it, miss. But what if the man who owns this field was to see me? You see I'm a stranger in these parts--I'm only hired to drive these sheep to the man that bought them."