The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-07-10

A Lost Child Taken Care of and
Fed by a DHmb Brute.

One of the most striking instances
which we have heard, say the Messrs
Chambers in their "Anecdotes of Dogs,
of sagacity and personal attachments in
the shepherds dog, occurred about half
a century ago among the Grampian
mountains. In one of his excursions to
his distant focks, a shepherd took with
him one of his children. After travers-
ing the hills for some time, attended by
his dog, the shepherd found himself un-
der the necessity of ascending a summit
some distance to have a mare extensive
view of his range. As the ascent was
too fatigueing for the child, he left him
on a small plain at the bottom, with the
strict injunction not to stir from it till
! his return.
Scarcely, however, had he gained the
summit when the horizon was suddenly
| darkened by one of those impenetrable
mists which frequently descend so rapidly
amid those mountains as, in the space of
a few minutes, almost to turn day into
night. The anxious father instantly has
tened back to find his child but, owing
to the unusual darkness and his own ire
pidation, he unfortunately missed his way
in the descent. After fruitless search
of many hours among the dangerous
morasses and cataracts with which these
mountains abound, he was at length over
taken by night
Still wandering on without knowing
whittier, he at length came to the verge
of mist, and by the light of the moon
discovered that he had reached the bot |
tom of the valley and was within short |
distance of his cottage. To renew the
search that night was equally fruitless
and dangerous. He was therefore obliged |
to return to his cottage, having lost both |
his child and his dog, which had attend
ed him faithfully for years.
Next morning, by daybreak, the shep
neighbors, set out in search of his child;
but, after day spent in fruitless fatigue,
he was at last compelled, by the approach
of night, to descend from the mountain.
On returning to his cottage, he found
that the dog, which he had lost the day
before, had been home, and, on receiving
a piece Of cake, had instantly started off
again.
For several successive days the shep-
herd renewed the search for his child,
and still, on returning at evening disap
pointed to his cottage, he found that the
dog had been home, and on receiving
his usual allowance of cake, had Instant
ly disappeared. Struck with this singu
lar circumstance, he remained at home {
one day, and, when the dog as usual de-
parted with his piece of cake, he resolved
to follow him, and find out the cause of
his strange procedure.
The dog led the way to cataract at
some distance from the spot where the I
shepherd had left his child. The banks :
If the cataract almost joined at the top, |
yet, separated by an abyss of immense
lepth, presented that appearance which I
70 often astonished and appals the trav q
.llers who frequent the Grampian noun I
aims, and indicates that these stipend
Jus chasms were not the silent work of Q
ime, but the sudden effect of some vio- D
ent CONFUSION of the earth.
Down one of these rugged and almost y
descents the dog began,
Without hesitation, to make his way,
nd at last disappeared into cave, the F
Mouth of which was almost upon level
nth the torrent The shepherd with D
ifficulty followed, but, on entering the h
ave, what were his emotions when he tC
eheld his child eating with much salts fe
action the cake which the dog had just ii
rought him, while the faithful animal tr
God by cycling his young charge with in
lie utmost complacence. a
From the situation in which the child M
as found it appears that he had wan W
cred to the brink of the precipice, and tn
len either fallen or scrambled down till di
: reached the cave, which the dread of tr
Re torrent had afterward prevented him as
ON quitting The dog, by means of his pI
ent, had traced him to the spot, and tr
terward prevented him from starving ed
giving up to him his own daily al gr
vance He appeared never to have m
lifted the child by night or day, except TO
hen it was necessary to go for his food, wi
ID then he was always seen running at tn
II speed to and from the cottage. tr: