THE LAMB

By JAMES HANLEY

THE charabanc, its garish colours of red and green flinging a defiant ultimatum at Nature's quieter tones, swung round the bend just at that moment when the voices swelled into a second version of the popular song with which they had enlivened the quiet countryside for the best part of two hours. They were out for the day and this was their high song. Suddenly the vehicle pulled up with a loud screech. The singing ended. Consternation. Confusion. What had happened ? A stout lady jammed in the back seat between two hefty colliers suddenly screamed, but this was at once broken by loud laughter as the driver turned round and said, " It's only a lamb."

A chorus of Ohs and Ahs followed. The red-faced driver left his seat and jumped down into the road. Like sheep the occupants of the red and green monster followed. They descended into the road, an untidy crowd, their movements awkward, clumsy, they filled the road. Everybody talked. Their loud voices drowned the tiny bleat of the lamb. Its hind leg caught by the rear wheel of the 'bus was crushed. Imprisoned by the monster it lay pathetically helpless, its wide open eyes seemed to hold the bovine expression of the driver who looked down at it, uncomprehending, without feeling. Meanwhile, the crowd talked. The sun shone strongly on the men's thick serge suits and on the tweeds and prints of the women, all except two stout and aggressive looking. Slowly it seemed to dawn on them that something was really wrong. They moved forward in one mass and crowded round the rear of. the 'bus.- All looked down at the lamb, not as a creature whose leg was crushed, but as something that had suddenly loomed up as from nowhere and put an end to their singing. The driver looked from one to the other of the men. " It's a swine," he said, " I was due to make Conway at eleven ten." Then he began to laugh. He simply had to laugh. The crowd looked so thoroughly stupid. " Well," he said, " we'll have to do some- thing about it," and he climbed back into his seat with a warning, " stand clear, I'm going to reverse."

The crowd drew away from the 'bus and stood on the grass verge. " Poor little chap," said one lady as the engine started and the 'bus slowly moved. " Ah!" said the crowd in chorus as the 'bus got clear. The lamb immediately fell heavily on its other side. It bleated. It looked at the crowd. " Oh dear ! how dreadful," said another lady. She put her hands to her eyes as she saw the stream of blood on the white dusty road. " They're a bloody nuisance, that's what I say," said the driver, goaded by the attitude of his travellers. " We'll have to do something about it." The hefty colliers looked at each other. Aye. They'd have to do something about it. Yes. That was the real devil of it, their expressions seemed to say, having to do something about it. And only five minutes ago they were singing so happily in the 'bus and all except one strong teetotaller hoping to make the Red Lion by eleven ten. Their expression became one single expression which said, " It's a damned nuisance." And all looked on at the lamb. Suddenly an idea did occur to one of them.

" Best put it hack in that there field and let's get on." " Yes," chorused the others. " Put it in the field. Let's go."

" Perhaps we'd better kill it," the driver said. "You kill it then," said a stout lady. "You're the driver."

The driver hedged. " I'm not the only man here. Besides, I'd hate to kill a lamb, anyhow, though I like my lamb and mint sauce all the same." This raised a laugh from the crowd. A great joke. " Can't one of you kill it ? " He looked questioningly at the men. Nobody moved.

" Oh, let's get on for God's sake," said another man, " it's dying anyhow."

Still nobody moved. It seemed as though this helpless creature rendered them powerless like itself. Its large gentle eyes seemed to throw an appeal at the crowd, at the big red faces that ringed it round, and it smelt something strange in their serges and tweeds that carried with them the staleness of the town. Suddenly it closed its eyes. " It's a Bonner," one man said. " Come on. Let's get in."

Somewhat relieved, the crowd moved off towards the door of the 'bus, but to the general consternation of everybody the lamb opened its eyes again. " Oh hell ! " exclaimed the driver. "Will somebody look for a stone ?"

" Look-out there ! " shouted one of the women. The crowd rushed to the grass verge just in time. A small sports car had driven up. Out of it stepped a girl. She gave one glance at the lamb and then looked at the men. " Has it been run over ? " she asked.

" Course it has. Ain't blind, miss, are yer ? "

"Then why don't you put it out of its misery ? It's disgraceful. All you men standing round a helpless little creature like that."

She went to the rear of the 'bus, followed by some of the women. The men glared at the new arrival. " One of those smart judies," one said.

" Isn't it simply dreadful," said the lady nearest the girl, " poor little chap." The girl looked at the woman as though bewildered by this sudden demonstration of sympathy. She crossed the road and climbed the fence, an action that seemed to interest the men very much. She searched about in the field for a stone. " What's her going to do at all ? " said a little man dressed in loud brown.

" Ask me," said another, and was immediately followed by a voice saying, "Why her's got a big stone; her must be going to kill it. Ugh ! "

The girl came back with the large stone. She walked up to the men and said, " I'm surprised that not one of you men could find a stone to put this little creature out of its misery." Then she went up to the lamb. She raised the stone in the air and brought it down with a loud thump on the lamb's head. She stood watching it for a moment or two, then picked it up and carried it to the fence. She reached through and laid the animal gently on the grass. The women had hidden their faces, but now the job was done they began climbing back into the 'bus again. The men trooped in after them. They talked under their breath. And as each one climbed the step he gave a glance back at the girl who had now got back into her car. " Garn ! Her's a cruel bitch," one said, and when they were safely seated in the 'bus again, the men took it up in chorus. " Aye ! Her's a cruel bitch all right."