Richland beacon., 1885-05-09
THE LOST CHILD.
A Highland Incident IiiUStra-
ting The faitliiliincss Of a bog.

ting the Eaiihiuincss Of Al bog.
\ sheppard vii" inhabited one Of
those valleys cr glens which intersect
the Grampian Mountains, in one of
his excursions to look after his flock.
happened - carry along with INN one
Of lis children. an infant Of three years
old This is not an unusual practice
among the Highlanders, who accus-
tom their children from the earliest .
infancy to indure the rlTors of the f.
climate. After traver-ing his pastures .
for some time, attended by his dog.
the shepherd found himself under .
the necessity Of ascending Il summit }
at some distance, 10 have "A more eX-
/ tensiye view of the range. As the as
cent was too fatiTuinS for the child,
heleft him on small plain at the bot
tom. with strict Injunction not t. STIR
from it till his return. Scarcely,
however, had he gained the summit,
when the horizon was darkened by
one Of those impsnetrthle mlNts
which frequently descend 50 rapli ilv
amidst these mountains, as, III the
space ofa few minutes, almost 10 turn
dav TO night. The anxious f,ther IN
stantlv Lastened back TO find his
child, but owing TO the unusual dark
ness and his own trepidation, unfor-
tunatelv missed his way III the
descent. After IA fruitless search of
many hours, he discover, d that he
had reached the bottom Of the valley
and was nsar his own cottage. To
renew the search that night was
equally fruitless and dangerous. He
wis. therefore. compelled to go home
although he had lost both his child
and his dog, who mad attended him
=. faithfully for many years.
Next morning, by break of day the
: shepherd, accompanied by band OF
MS neighbors, set out in search OF his
7 child; but after day spent in frultless
;. fa,ioue, he WAS at last compelled, by
the approach ofnigh;,t descend from
: the mountain GA his returning
:, home to his cottage, he found that the
doc, which he had lost the day before
had been home, and on receiving
=. piece of cake, had instantly gone OF
i again. For several successive days
- the shepherd renewed his search To
. his child. and still. on returning iom'
! disappointed i'll the evening, he foun'
" that the dog had been home, art ol
:. receiving his usual allowance OF cake
- had instantly disappeared. Struck
with this singular circumstance, h
~ ~ remained Mt home one day; and the
- the dog, a. usual, departed with III
g niece of cake, he resolved to follo'
. him. and find out the cause OF tn
" a strange procedure Tne dog led th
:, wav 10 a cataract at some dIstanc
" from the spot wh7re the shepherd ht
'e lef, his child. The banks OF the cata
.. .. ract almost Joined a; the :op, We
.. ~ separated By all abyss of imlnens
K &c depth, presented that appearanc
= which 50 often astonishes and appal
.0 " the travellers that frequent the Gran
:. pian mountains. Down one OF thos
iA rugged and almost perpendicular dc
. scents the dog began, without heslti
NO ton. to make his way, and at last dl'
~ - appeared 10y entering cave, IL
u =, mouth oi which WAS almost level Wit
y v the torrent. The shepherd, Wi
- - difficulty, followed; but on enter1I
~ the cave, what were his emotion
oo when he beheld his infant eating vii
p much satisfaction the cake which u
..J aJ dog had just brought him, while Il Il
81 81 faithful animal stood by eyelnS b
a. ar his young charge with the utmo
~ satisfaction. From the SITUATION
-, - which the Child was found, 1t appe'
81. tu ed that he had wandered to tue brll
''' of the precipice, and then either I
IL len or scrambled down TIL he reach
Nv ~. the cave. Tie dog, by meals OF
.'' scent. had traced him to the sp'
~ and afterwards prevented him fro
~ .o starving by giving up to him his o'
Va daily allowance -Erchange.
-s go s-------