CHAPTER XXI 

TROUBLES IN THE FOLD--A MESSAGE 

Gabriel Oak had ceased to feed the Weatherbury flock for about four-and-twenty hours, when on Sunday afternoon the elderly gentlemen Joseph Poorgrass, Matthew Moon, Fray, and half-a-dozen others, came running up to the house of the mistress of the Upper Farm. 

"Whatever IS the matter, men?" she said, meeting them at the door just as she was coming out on her way to church, and ceasing in a moment from the close compression of her two red lips, with which she had accompanied the exertion of pulling on a tight glove. 

"Sixty!" said Joseph Poorgrass. 

"Seventy!" said Moon. 

"Fifty-nine!" said Susan Tall's husband. 

"--Sheep have broke fence," said Fray. 

"--And got into a field of young clover," said Tall. 

"--Young clover!" said Moon. 

"--Clover!" said Joseph Poorgrass. 

"And they be getting blasted," said Henery Fray. 

"That they be," said Joseph. 

"And will all die as dead as nits, if they bain't got out and cured!" said Tall. 

Joseph's countenance was drawn into lines and puckers by his concern. Fray's forehead was wrinkled both perpendicularly and crosswise, after the pattern of a portcullis, expressive of a double despair. Laban Tall's lips were thin, and his face was rigid. Matthew's jaws sank, and his eyes turned whichever way the strongest muscle happened to pull them. 

"Yes," said Joseph, "and I was sitting at home, looking for Ephesians, and says I to myself, ''Tis nothing but Corinthians and Thessalonians in this danged Testament,' when who should come in but Henery there: 'Joseph,' he said, 'the sheep have blasted theirselves--'" 
who stopped doing something?
what did he stop doing?
who did he stop feeding?
did something happen on the day that follows Saturday?
what?
how many people?
who was one of them?
another?
was another named?
which one?
did Joe speak?
what did he say the first time he spoke?
did he speak again?
what did he say the second time?
Did Matt speak?
what did he say the first time he spoke?
did he speak again?
what did he say the second time?
was someone trying to find something?
who?
what was he trying to find?
Gabriel Oak
Gabriel Oak had ceased 
feeding
Gabriel Oak had ceased to feed the Weatherbury flock
the Weatherbury flock
Gabriel Oak had ceased to feed the Weatherbury flock 
Yes
when on Sunday afternoon
people came
when on Sunday afternoon the elderly gentlemen Joseph Poorgrass
Nine
Joseph Poorgrass, Matthew Moon, Fray, and half-a-dozen others, came
Joseph Poorgrass
Joseph Poorgrass
Matthew Moon
Matthew Moon
Yes
Fray
Fray
Fray
Yes
"Sixty!" said Joseph Poorgrass.
"Sixty!"
"Sixty!" said Joseph Poorgrass. 
Yes
"--Clover!" said Joseph Poorgrass. 
--Clover
--Clover!" said Joseph Poorgrass. 
Yes
"Seventy!" said Moon. 
"Seventy!"
"Seventy!" said Moon. 
Yes
"--Young clover!" said Moon. 
"--Young clover!"
"--Young clover!" said Moon. 
Yes
 Joseph, "and I was sitting at home, looking for
Joseph,
Joseph, "and I was sitting at home, looking
Ephesians
said Joseph, "and I was sitting at home, looking for Ephesians