McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-04-02
THE LOST CHILD.
Highland Incident Illustrating the Faithful
ness Of Dog

A Highland Incident Illustrating the Faithful
ness Of a Dog.
A shepherd who inhabited one OF
the valleys or glens which intersect
the Grampian Mountains, III one of his
excursions to look after his flock, hap
pened to carry along with him one OF
his children, an infant of three years
old. Ibis is not an unusual practice
among the Highlanders, who accustom
their children from the earliest infaD-
cy to endure the rigors of the climate.
After traversing his pastures for some
time, attended by his dog, the shep-
herd found himself under the neces-
sity of ascending summit at some
distance, to have more extensive
view of the range. AS the ascent was
too fatiguing for the child, he left him
on small plain at the bottom, with
strict injunctions not to stir from it
till his return. Scarcely, however,
had he gained the summit, when the
horizon was darkened by one of those
impenetrable mists which frequently
descend so rapidly amidst these noun
tains, as, in the space of a few minutes,
almost to turn day to night. The
anxious father instantly fastened back
to find his child, but owing to the I'M
usual darkness and his own trepida-
ton, unfortunately missed his way in
the descent. After a fruitless search
Of many hours, he discovered that he
had reached the bottom of the valley
and was near his own cottage. TO re-
new the search that night was equally
fruitless and dangerous. He was,
therefore, compelled TO go home al
though he had lost both his child and
his dog, who had attended him faith
fully for many years.
Next morning, by break of day the
shepherd, accompanied by a band of
his 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 his returning home
to his cottage, he found that the dog,
which he had lost the day before, had
been home, and on receiving piece of
cake, had instantly gone off again.
For several successive days the shep-
herd renewed his search for 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 remain
ed 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 pro-
cedure. The dog led the way to 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 perpendcu-
lar descents the dog began, without
hesitation, to make his way, and at last
disappeared by entering cave, the
mouth of which was almost level with
the torrent. The shepherd, with diff
Guilty, followed; but on entering the
cave, what were his emotions when he
beheld his infant eating with much sat-
isfaction 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 situation in which the child
was found, it appeared that he had
wandered to the brink of the preciplce. !
and then either fallen or scrambled
down till he reached the cave. The
dog, by means of his scent, had traced
him to the spot, and afterwards pre-
vented him from starving by giving up
to him his own d ally allowance.-E1-
change.