"Oh ... why yes!" replied the man. He was embarrassed in the presence of all these strangers. "This is a very poor old shed," he said, smiling apologetically. Shyly he turned away from the disciples and began to count his sheep. The men watched. He was very slow and started over again three times. They smiled at each other as though to say, "A simple fellow, isn't he?" The flimsy little shelter rocked under the gusts of the gale, now at its height. The shepherd was too busy counting to notice. Suddenly he jerked up straight. "There is one missing!" Before the disciples could stop him, he plunged into the windy darkness. "Come back!" shouted James. "One is missing!" A heavy gust almost drowned the shepherd's reply. "You'll get hurt!" The man was gone. "How can he ever find his way?" protested James to the others. "There are gullies and high rocks! He will be killed in the dark!" "He has practically all the sheep in," declared John. "He could wait a little while till this lets up." "He would leave his flock here and search all night for a sheep," remarked Jesus. "He ought not to risk his life like that," answered James. "A good shepherd is ready to face death to find just one sheep," said Jesus. Death! The twelve men had been able to think of nothing but fear and death the whole day through. Why did the Master talk about it so much? At that instant the shepherd came back. Under his arm was a lamb, frightened but not harmed. "There," sighed the man, putting it gently down. "Now all are safe." "You are hurt!" exclaimed Peter. He knelt and gently touched the man's ankle. The shepherd flinched, but said, "Oh, it is nothing!" "Let me bandage it," insisted Peter. The man sat down; he was in pain. "How did this happen?" asked Peter, tearing a strip of cloth from the long loose shirt he wore. "I heard the little one crying and ran toward him," answered the man. "I must have stumbled on a sharp rock." Jesus was watching the man. "You are a faithful shepherd," he said. The shepherd looked up quickly and smiled. This man understood! But the disciples were quiet. They knew Jesus was thinking about his own work in Jerusalem. The wind had veered around and now blew from the southwest. Spattering drops turned into a steady, cold, driving rainstorm. "Perhaps it will settle the dust," said Andrew hopefully. He was thinking how dejected the sheep looked that had not found room in the shed when he felt cold water on his back. "This place leaks!" he exclaimed. Soon all the men were moving uncomfortably about, trying to find places to stand where they could keep dry. But it was hopeless. The rain poured through the cracks in the old roof. "We might as well be walking outside as standing here," declared the Zealot in disgust. The suggestion seemed sensible. "Thank you for the shelter," said Jesus to the shepherd.