outskirts of town.. Although the cottage was somewhat old-fashioned, the agent who rent the place to them was keen to advocate that they should not install
air-conditioning as they could air-condition the place by opening the skylights. The day that they moved, the air was heavy with the advent of spring, a
sense of renewal accompanied them along the way. Billy and the old dog Rufus watched the amazing aerial gymnastics of the swallows out of the car window,
browsing through the family album every now and then. When they arrived, a group of men were unloading the van. Billy thought looking around the new
surroundings should be placed high on their agenda, so he whistled to Rufus and they set off on an adventure. They found a small footpath, Rufus showing his
excitement and his affection for Billy by panting and wagging his tail. Billy was at an age when he could still fell a sense of aesthetic excitement at the
beauty of nature. The adverse effects of those years in the city seemed to vanish as he walked, and with Rufus as his affiliate he felt invincible. However,
he had reckoned without Rufus. They rounded a bend in the path and suddenly, in the next field, They saw sheep. Rufus knew a good game when he saw one, he
ran straight into the field, barking aggressively. Just then, a man in green boot stepped out and in an equally aggressive manner started to shout at Rufus
to get out of the field. With a sense of alarm, Billy realized that the man was carrying a shotgun and he saw him level it and take aim at Rufus.
"Please don't shoot", yelled Billy, but this seemed to aggravate the man still more. The gun went off and Rufus howled in agony. He ran helter-skelter back
to Billy with his tail between his legs. The man strode over to Billy.
"Those sheep are pregnant," the man said, angrily. "If you agitate them they can lose their lambs. I will affirm my right to kill any dog that chases them."
"I agree," said Bily. "And i'm sorry, please, help me get Rufus to a vet!"
"I don't think your dog will need a vet this time," said the man, "the gun was only loaded with salt. But next time, keep him on a lead, okay?"