"Did you hear a caw ?" Colin listened and heard it, the oddest sound in the world to hear inside a house, a hoarse "caw-caw." "Yes," he answered.
"That's Soot," said Mary.

"Listen again! Do you hear a bleat--a tiny one ?" "Oh, yes!" cried Colin, quite flushing.
"That's the new-born lamb," said Mary.

"He's coming." Dickon's moorland boots were thick and clumsy and though he tried to walk quietly they made a clumping sound as he walked through the long corridors.

Mary and Colin heard him marching--marching, until he passed through the tapestry door on to the soft carpet of Colin's own passage.
"If you please, sir," announced Martha, opening the door, "if you please, sir, here's Dickon an' his creatures." [Illustration: "DICKON CAME IN SMILING HIS NICEST WIDE SMILE."-- _Page 251_] Dickon came in smiling his nicest wide smile.

The new-born lamb was in his arms and the little red fox trotted by his side.