Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-03-06
THE o S CHILD.
Incident Illustrating tn. Faith
fulness of a Dog.

Illustrating the Faith
fulness of a Dog.
A shepherd who inhabited one Of
nose valleys or glens which intersect
the Grampian Mountains, in one of his
excursions to look after his flock. ham
pened to carry along with him n of
n,s cnllaren' an infant of three years
old. This is not an unusual practice
among the Highlanders, who accustom
their children from the earliest infancy
TO endure the rigors of the climate.
After traversing his pastures for some
tlme' attended by his dog, the shepherd
found himself under the necessity of
ascending a summit at some distance.
10 nave o more extensive view of tho
range. AS the ascent was o ofatieuino
Q the child, he left him on a small
plain at the bottom, with strict iniunc-
t!ons not to stir from it till his return.
scarcely, however, had he gained the
summit, when the horizon was dark
ened by one of those impenetrable
mlsts which frequently descend so rap.
ldly AMIDST these mountains, as, in the
space OF a few minutes, almost to turn
day to night. The anxious father in
stantly fastened back to find his child.
u owing to the unusual darkness and
his own trepidation, unfortunately
missed his way in the descent. After q
frultless search of many hours, he dis
covered that he had reached the bottom
OF the valley and was near his owl
cottage. To renew the search hat
night was equally fruitless and danger
ous. He was, therefore, compelled to
go home although he had lost both his
child and his dog, who had attended
him faithfully for MANY wears.
Next morning, by break of day the
shepherd, accompanied by a band of
his neighbors, set out in search of his
child; but after a day spent in fruitless
fatigue, he was at last compelled, by
the approach of night, to descendfrom
the mountain. On his returning home
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 gone off again.
For several successive days the shep-
herd renewed his search Tor his child.
and still, on returning home disap-
pointed in the evening, he found that
the dog had been home, and on receiv-
ing his usual allowance of cake, had
instantly disappeared. Struck with
this singular circumstance, he remained
at home one day; and when the dog,
as usual, departed with his piece Of
cake, he resolved to follow him, and
find out the cause of this strange r
cedure. The dog led the way to a cat
aract at some distance from the spot
where the shepherd had left his child.
The banks of the cataract almost Joined
at the top, yet, separated by an abyss
OF immense depth, presented that ap-
pearance which SO often astonishes and
appalls the travellers that frequent the
Grampian mountains. Down one of
those rugged and almost perpendicular
descents the dog began, without hest
tation, to make his way, and at last dis
appeared by entering a cave, the mouth
of which was almost level with the tor
rent. The shepherd, with difficulty,
followed; but on entering the cave,
what were his emotions when he be-
held his infant eating with much salts
faction the cake which the dog had Just
brought him, while the faithful animal
stood by cycling his young charge with
the utmost satisfaction. From the sit
uation in which the child was found,
it appeared that he had wandered to
the brink of the precipice, and then
either fallen OF scrambled down till he
reached the cave. The dog, by means
OF his scent, had traced him to the
spot, and afterwards prevented him
from starving by giving up to him his
own daily Observation-Disclosures.