They worked on happily for a few minutes, then suddenly Amy straightened up and stood quiet as though she were listening to something.
The girls, whose nerves were still a little on edge from their recent adventure, demanded to know in no uncertain tones what was the matter with her.
"N-nothing," Amy answered a little sheepishly. "I thought I heard a little rustling among the leaves, that's all."
"Probably a breeze coming up," said Betty matter-of-factly, and they went on with their berry picking.
But it was not long before a second disturbance came, and this time they all heard it. It was, as Amy had said, a rustling sound. However, it was louder this time, as though several heavy bodies were pushing through the underbrush on the other side of the road.
"Perhaps we had better go and see what is making all the noise," said Mrs. Irving, her light tone successfully hiding an undercurrent of nervousness. "I guess we have picked enough berries for our pudding, anyway."
The girls picked up their pails and started for the road, Betty in the lead. But when the latter reached the outer fringe of bushes she started back, almost treading on Mollie's toes and causing her to drop her pail in alarm.
"It's sheep!" cried the Little Captain. "Dozens and dozens of them! Come and look!"