Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-08-08
Extraordinary Sagacity Of Dog.

The celebrated shepherd poet,
James Hogg, had a dog named
Sirrah. 'He was," says he, "be-
yond all comparison, the best dog I
ever saw. He was of surly, un-
social temper, disdaining all fiat
terry, and refusing to be caressed;
but his attention to his master will
never again be equaled by any of
the canine race. The first time
saw him a drover was leading him
by rope; he was hungry and lean;
and far from being beautiful cur.
The man had bought him of boy
for three shillings, somewhere on
the border, and had doubtless fed
him very ill on his journey. 1
thought l discovered sort of sui
len intelligence in his face, notwith-
standing his detected and forlorn
situation; so l gave the drover a
guinea for him, and appropriated
him to myself. He was then scarce
ly year old, and knew SO little of
herding that he had never turned
sheep in his life, but as soon as he
discovered that it was his duty to
do so, and that it obliged me, l can
never forget with what anxiety and
and eagreness he learned his differ
ent evolutions. He would try every
day till he found out what I wanted
him to do, and when / once made
him understand a direction, he
never forgot or mistook it again.
Well as / knew him, he often aston
ished me, for when hard pressed in
accomplishing the task he was put
to, he had expedients OF the moment
that spoke great share of the rea-
soning faculties. After seven hun
dred lambs, which were under his
care at weaving time, broke up at
midnight and scampered off in three
divisions across the hills, in spite
of all shepherd and lad could do
to keep them together, 'Sirrahv
cried the shepherd in great afflic-
ton, 'my man, they're a. ava The
night was so dark that he did moi
see Sirrah; but the faithful animal
had heard his masters words
words, such as Of all others, were
sure to set him most on the alert
and without more ado he silently
set of in quest Of the recreant flock.
Meanwhile the shepherd and his
companion did not fail to do all In
their power to recover their lost
charge; they spent the whole night
in securing the hills for miles
around, but of neither the lambs nor
Sirrah could they obtain the slight
est trace. sItwas the most extraor-
dinary circumstance said the shep-
herd, that ever occurred in my pas
toral life. We had nothing for it
(day having dawned) but to return
to our master and inform him that
we had lost his whole flock, and
knew not what had become of one of
them. On our way home, however,
we discovered body of lambs at
the bottom of deep ravine, and the
indefatigable Sirrah standing in
front Of them, looking all around
for some relief, but standing true to
his charge. The sun was up, and
when we first came in view of them,
we concluded that it was one Of the
flocks which Sirrah had been un-
able to manage until he came to
that commanding situation, but
what was our astonishment when
we discovered that not one lamb of
the whole flock was wanting! How
had he got all the divisions collect
ed in the dark Is beyond my COM
| prehension. The charge was left
entirely to himself, from midnight
until the rising sun; and if all the
shepherds of the forest had been
there to have assisted him, they
could not have affected it with
greater propriety. All can say is,
that l never felt so grateful to any
creature below the sun as l did to
my honest Sirrah that morning."
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