Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-07-26
4 coLLIn,s rLEkcr FRr ENps.


/
The Sheep Were sold aud Delivered, hut
Trounce Wouldn't Have IL That Way.
The following extremely interesting
story is told by the New York San: On
| Wednesday OF last week two sons of
Farmer Wilton H. barrow of Braintrim
| township, Wyoming county, Pa, drove
nine ewes and IL sucking lambs over to
tho farm of Jason Is. Young, three miles
and half away in the adjoining town
ship. The boys were accompanied on
the trip by Mr.. Darrow's collie dog
rrounce, who had become greatly at
tached to the sheep, three of which were
of the same age as the dog and had been
raised by MI. Darrow's folks as cosset
lambs.
MIR. Young, who had bought the
sheep, turned them into pasture with
his own flock of more than 100 sheep
and lambs. The dog followed the little
bunch Of sheep into the field toward the
large flock, and when the lads ordered
MIN to come back lie was disincllned to
obey He stuck close to the lambs and
their mothers for several rods into the
lot, and after the boys had coaXed and
commanded good deal he returned
reluctantly 70 the road, glanoing buck at
the sheep as though he disliked to leave
them. The ewes and lambs bleated
after their old.tlme canine companion,
aud TrounGe repeatedly turned about
and whined dolUIully. He started to go
back to the lot three or four times, but
the lads scolded him so hard that he
gave up the notion, and us soon as they
| GOT out Of sight of the field the dog,
with the exception OF giving vent TO an
occasional whine, followed them now as
contentedly us usual. The rest of the
day Trounce was restless aud nervous.
| He roamed from the house to the lot
where the sheep had been pastured,
looked around the field as il he was in
search OF them, and then made his way
back.
This was repeated a number of times
before sunset, when Trounce drove up
the COWS and got his supper. AT bed
time the dog was asleep in the wood
| mouse.
Shortly after daybreak on Thursday
morning Mr.. barrow heard sheep and
lambs beating in the road between the
| house ane barns. He didn't know what
10 make OF it; so he got up and went
out, The dog didn't meet him at
the door as usual, and when he called
20 Trounce there was no response from
me wood shed. On reaching the fence
sir. barrow learned tine reason why. In
the middle of the road were huddled
| the nine ewes and their 10 lambs that
had been driven over to Mr.. Young's
the day before, and capering around
them in u state OF perfect delight was
| the dog.
1t was supposed that the sheep had
found their way home III the Right and
that the dog had heard them Dleating
and gone out to welcome them back.
The sheep We're driven over to Mr..
loung's again that morning, Trounce
| accompanying the lads and acting as
before. On Friday morning Mr.. Darrow
found the five ewes and thirteen lambs
III front OF the house again. Trounce
was guarding them in way that
showed how pleased he was to have his
| former companions on the farm once
more, and when the boys started to
return the sheep to MIR. Young's the
dog headed them off twice and tried to
turn them back. He was punished for
this by being confined while the boys
were gone.
After supper that night the collie acted
strangely, so Nh. Darrow decided to
stay up and keep watch of him. No
sooner had everything become quiet in
| the house than Mr.. barrow saw Trounce
| steal out OF the wood shed in the clear
moonlight and start up the road on a
trot. Mr.. barrow followed the stealthy
| fellow at distance, the dogs shaggy
coat being discernible in the bright
| lnoonshine for quarter of Il mile.
| Trounce walked and trotted at intervals,
made four turns in the road, and didn't
halt for moment until he had paced
off the three and half miles between
| MIR. Darrow's farm and the sheep pas.
ture on Mr.. Young's place.
AT the roadside bars of the pasture
tie dog stopped and began to slide back
the second board with his teeth. 1t took
him several minutes TO make in open
ing, and then he trotted 10 a corner Of
the lot where the sheep were lying.
The flock sprang up in alarm, and the dog
darted among them, singled ont sheep
and drove it to the opposite corner OF
| the lot.
| Irounce's antics caused the flock to
scatter, but the dog again picked out
! sheep and drove it to the corner. The
| lhlibo iulloNeu tilelI HlOlntTs, ana all
stayed where the dog had driven them.
For all of half an hour the industrious
dog ran back and forth, singing out a
sheep here and there and conducting it
to the corner.
Finally he started toward the road
with little flock of sheep ahead of him
and when the bleating animals reached
the fence Mr.. barrow discovered that
there was exactly nine sheep and IL
lambs in the flock, and that they were
the same sheep he had sold to Mr..
Young. Meantime he had closed the
bars, and Trounce was in quandary
when he found that there was no exit
for his obedient pets. The dog went to
work to reopen the bars, and the patient
shtcp stood and watched him, waiting
for him to pilot them home again.
The remarkable cunning and sagacity
of the collie were admirable, Mr.. Oar.
row said, but the trouble had gone far
enough, SO he caught Trouace, led him
home and shut him up.
For three days the collie refused to
eat, and the poor fellow was SO lone.
some and miserable that MIR. Darrow
brought back the ewes aud lambs and
gave the dog his freedom again.