The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-01-27

/ Feeling my way along the base OF this,
heard faint call:
"'Shep, Shep! come, old Shep, and
warm me-
81 rushed forward, as the dog
answered with a bark of delight, and
found Nellie standing fat up against
/ the bank, still on guard, though nearly
dead with cold.
''Oh, how happy I was VIXEN clasped
my darling in my arms, and how glad
1 she was. Her first words were:
''Oh, father, would have been dead
and all the sheep lost if it had not been
for dear old Shep. 1t was he that drove
/ them in that sheltered place"
AZ turned to look for the dog, but he
was gone, and the next moment l 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 more than a
half dozen men could in the same
place.
II spoke to him encouragingly, for
felt very grateful But l could not
wait. 1 must get Nellie home.
Leaving Shep to watch the sheep. I
took her in my arms and 1 crawled
back up the hill could see in the
distance the blazing fire OF the wood
pile, and made straight tor it.
when I got to the cabin with my
burden, wife was up and dressed, sick
as she was. She had hot drinks and
clothes ready, and / left her TO take
care of the child, while l at once struck
out again for the sheep.
The great piles of blazing logs at
the cabin lighted up the whole land
scape and made a beacon that would
guide me on my return.
~ 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 faithfulness, he had
given up and left his guard? did not
believe it. l called to him, and was
answered by a 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 l could get one of them
started, they might all follow in the
path l had made to the cabin. l caught
an old eve and dragged her out OF tha
bunch along the path a few feet, and
then called Shep TO me, and made him
hold her by the ear while / went into
the band and drove few more out.
1.-The bah! bah! of the old eve at
tracted the attention of the others, and
they started TO 90 to her. then called
Shep to let her go, and she led them
on the path toward home, while Shep
and / drove up the tagging ones in the
rear.
Suddenly I thought of the bridge
being swept away, and | knew if the
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
ITO prevent this, l went on ahead of
WIG JANA Win OAiC wy, anu IOotCA lllLAI
at the broken bridge to prevent them
CROSSING while l went on over to the
ranch to get some plauks to make
temporary bridge.
1.-THE last | saw Of old Shep he was
walking along the bank in front Of the
crowdipg sheep, barking and swapping
at them and holding them back better
than half-dozen herders 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 Shep to drive
them back.
''At last one went over, and that was
the sign for all to follow. In a 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 carcasses,
over which all the others passed.
"Old Shep had fought them On the
very edge, and was carried over with
the avalanche, and even in the creek
tried to force them back, but was soon
crushed beneath the mass.
The next day we took out of the
gorge sixty-three dead sheep, and be-
meath them we found the body of the
faithful dog that had as truly died on
duty as the greatest soldier in history.
THE little stone, you see, is mark
Of affection OF which we are proud,
and which has perhaps recalled to
many a man a kind thought and ap-
probation OF our unselfsh dumb friend
the dog.
For my wife, my child aud myself,
we will ever hold in loving remem-
brance the nobiest of his species-old
Shep. Charles Power. In Golden DsYs.