Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-11-11


to his rightful master. Shortly after
ward arrived, all deshaSille the owner
of the breeches, trembling for purse
of gold that lay in the same pocket
with the important franc.
The shepherds dog in his own de-
partment is perfect miracle of intel
Iigence. He understands the sign, the
voice. the look Of his master. He COL
lects the scattered sheep at the slight
est signal, separates any one that is in
dcated from the flock. drives them
wherever he is told, aud keeps them
all the while under perfect control, less
by his active exertions than by the
meditation of his voice; which express
es every tone from gentle instruction
to angry menace. These are his ordi-
nary performances, visible every day
in thousand pastures. But he can do
greater wonders. 1t CHANGED one
night that seven hundred lambs COM
mitted to the keeping Of the Ettrick
shepherd, broke loose from his con-
troll and scampered away in three divi-
sions over hill and plain. 'Sirrah, my
man. said Hogg mournfully to his
coliy. meaning it for an expression of
grief, and not for direction. they're
ava Silently and withou, his mas
ter's knowledge, for it was too dark to
see. the og !ef, his side while the
shepherd passed the hours till morning
in . weary and fruitIess search after
his wandering charge. At the dawn
of the day he was about to return to
his employer with heart full Of des-
pair, when be caught sight Of Sirrah
guarding at the bottom Of deep ra-
vine, not, as he at first supposed, one
division Of the lambs, but the whole Of
the vast flock without solitary excep-
ton. It was says James Hogg, 'the
most extraordinary circumstance that
ever occurred in my pastoral life
How he had got all the divisions col
lected in the dark is beyond my COM
prehension. The charge was left en-
tirely to himself, from midnight until
the rising Of the sun, and if all the shep-
herds in the fores. had been there TO
assist him, they could not have effect
ed it with greater propriety. On an
other occasion the same famous shep-
herd saw dog, when it was utterly
dark. put upon the path Of eve that
had been lost by her owner near
neighbor's farm, and which was sup
posed to have mingled with her fellows
that were feeding in the surrounding
pastures. 'Chieftain,' said the master
of the dog, pointing to the spot from
which the sheep had gone of, fetch
that, say, sir-bring that back; a.
way!" And away ne went, and back
he brought in half an hour the idsnti-
cal sheep. A sheep s,ealer. who was
at last discovered and hanged, used to
carry on his trade by secretly signify
ing the particular sheep that he desired
out Of a large flock, as he viewed them
under the pretence of purchasing, to
his dog, which returning by himcelf,
distance Of several miles at night,
drove the selected sheep which were
undoubtedly the latest, to his fastidi-
Gus owner. Both Scott and Hogg re-
late this picturesque story most cir
substantially from the annals Of the
Justitiary Court in Scotland. Sir
Thomas Wilde knew an instance in
which three oxen out Of some score
had mingled with another herd. Go
fetch Them was all the instruction the
drover gave his dog, and he instantly
brought along with him those very
three. A cattle dealer accustomed to
drive hi, beasts for nine miles to Al
ston in Cumberland. once for wager
sent them alone with his dog The
animal perfectly understood his COM
mission. He KEEP, the straight road,
ran when he came TO a strange drove
to the head of his own 10 stop their
progress, put the beasts that blocked
the path upon one side, then was back
again 10 the rear to HE on his charge,
and thus adroltly steering his way and
keeping his herd together lac carried
them safely to the destined yard, and
signified their arrival by barking at
the door of the dwelling More than
this, the dog will on emergencies VOL
unteer services which occur TO none
but himself. One has been known Of
/ his own accord to overtake a runaway
horse, siege his bride, and hold him