The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-21

.he dog beside me.
"Wc soon began to descend steep
aill, and l knew We werc going into
The valley of Willow creek.
las soon as l got to the foot of the
hill ran eight into the band of sheep
all :uddled together in spot not big
ger than Il half acre.
II saw ut once that they were mill
!ng-that is, walking round and round
and crowding to the center of the
bunch. | knew that hundreds would
be crushed to death if they had been
loing that long, but was too anxious
FOR Nellic's safety to hardly think Of
the sheep.
II called out for Nellie; but the
wind was blowing so hard that the
sound seemed to blow away back Of
me.
"When 1 stopped, not knowing which
way to go, the dog caught me by the
leg and pulled me on again.
I'VE went around the bank until we
came mp against high cut bank.
Feeling my way along the base of this,
heard faint call:
Shop, Shop! come, old Shop and
warm me.
Il rushed forward, rs the oog
answered with.a bark of delight. and
found Nellie standing flat up against
the bank. still on guard. though nearly
dead with cold.
"Oh, how happy was when clasped
my darling in my arms, and how glad
she was. Her first words were:
''Oh, father, l would have been dead
and all the sheep lost if it had not been
for dear old Shop. 1t was he that drove
them in that sheltered place"
II turned to look for the dog, but he
was gone, and the next moment saw
him in the middle of the bunch of
crowding sheep, dashing at them on all
sides, to prevent them from crushing
together. He was doing moro than Il
half dozen men could in the same
place.
II spoke to him encouragingly, for
felt very grateful. But l could not
wait. must get Nellie home.
Leaving Shop to watch the sheep, I
took her in my arms and l crawlcd
back up the hill. could see in the
distance the blazing fire of the wood
pile. and made straight tor it.
when | got to the cabin with my
burden, wife was up and dressed sick
as She was. She had hot drinks and
clothes ready, and l left her to take
care of the child, while at once struck
out again for the sheep.
The great piles of blazing logs at
the cabin lighted up the whole land
scarc and made beacon that would
guide me OF my return.
II found the band in the same place
that had left them; they were quiet
and had ceased walking.
IL saw no signs of the dog. Could it
be that, after his faithfulncss. he had
given up and left his guard? did not
believe it. l called to him, and was
answered by 4 bark from the center of
the band; he was in their very midst,
and had by his efforts kept them from
milling.
THE next trouble would be to get
them started for home
sheep are the most stubborn ami
mails in the world. Shep and l worked
for hours to get the band headed for
home, but they would not leave the
shelter and face the strong wind.
81 knew if could get one OF them
started, they might all follow in the
path had made to the cabin. | caught
an old eve and dragged her out of the
bunch along the path few feet, and
then called Shcp to me, and made him
hold her by the ear while / went into
the band cp6 drove few more out.
1.-The bah. bah! of the old eve at
tractcd the attention of the others. and
they started to go TO her. ! then called
Shep to let her go, and she led them
on the path toward home, while Shop
and drove up the tagging ones in the
rear
suddenly l thought of the bridge
sheep tried to go down the steep bank
to cross the creek they would pile up
in the narrow gorge, and the first ones
be crushed to death by those following
no prevent this, l went on ahead OF
the band with the dog, and posted him
ut the broken bridge to prevent the IN
crossing, while | went on over to the
ranch to get some planlss to make a
temporary bridge.
''Thc last | saw of old Shep he was
walking along the bank in front of the
crowdins sheep, barking and swapping
at them and holding them back better
than half-doZen hcrdcrs could
THE sheep were mad to get to their
sheds. and were bound to cross the
bridge as they had always been in the
habit of doing. The stupid creatures
kept crowding to the edge of the bank,
despite all the efforts of Shop to drive
them back.
AT last one went over, and that was
the sign for all to follow. In IL mo-
ment thousand were in the narrow
gorge between the banks, and they
kept coming until enough were piled
up to make bridge of their car casses,
over which all the nthcrs nassau