Arizona weekly journal-miner., 1899-04-26


 TIas Colorado sheep aas.
 The most celebrated breed of shsp-
 Asrd dog ever known in the weSs said
 Iud Bristol, the old time sheep man of
 Fort Collins, Colo. "wers those bred
 from a pair of New Zealand dogs
 brought to Colorado in 1875. I hsi
 several of their pups on my ranges and
 rould ST . volume with inztanres of
 their rare intelligence and faishfulness
 ''I remember one pup in particular
 He wss only six months old when be
 was sent out one day to work CD the
 range. At night when the herd wss
 brought up to the oorrals we saw at once that a part of the herd was miss
 ing There were 500 head ia tbe
 bunch when they went out in the morning. but when we put them through the shoot we found that 900 were miss
 ing. The pup was also missing.
 Well all hands turned out for the search. We hunted all the night and all of the neHt day, and did not find the lost sheep until along toward night
 But there they were. all herded in a iittle draw, about five miles from home. and there was the faithful dog standing guard The wolves were very plentiful in those days and the dog had actually hidden the sheep from the animals in the draw The poor fellow was nearly fGmished, as he had been for ss hours without food CT water. From that day be became a hero. but was 90 badly Af fected by hunger. exposure and thirst and subsequent overlooking and betting that he died not long afterward
 This same pups mother was an es peciaIly fine animal One night the herder brought in his fiOcks and hurried to his cabin to cook himself some sup per. for he was more than usually hun gry. But be missed the dog, which usu- ally followed him 10 the cabin of an evening 10 have heTSupper The herder thought rather strange of it, but made DO search for the dog that night But when be went down to the corrals the next morning he found the gate open and the faithful dog standing guard over the focks The herdeT. in his haste the night before. had forgotten to close the gate. and the dog. more faithfu! than her master. had remained at her post all night. tbOngh suffering from hunger and thirst
 "On another occasion this same dog was left to watch a flock of sheep near the herder's cabin while the herder got his supper After the herder had eaten bis supper he went out to where the sheep were and told the dog to put the sheep in the corral This she refused to do. and although she had had no supper she started of over the prairie as fast As she could go The herder put the sheep in the corral and went to bed About midnight he was awakened by the loud barking of dog down by the oorrals He got up. dressed himself and went down to the eOrrals. and there found the dog with hand of about 50 sheep which had strayed of during the previous day without the herders knowledge; but the poor dog knew it and also knew that they ought tO be corralled. and she did it
 Another good story of this same dog One day she was sent out with 6 new herder to an outlyina ranch some I6 miles distant That night she came home. and by her actions told us that there was something Wcong at the ranch We'll. we mounted our bronchos and went over to the ranch. and very soon found out what the matter was The new hsTder was simply a tramp. who as coon as be had got a good feed had lit ont and left the sheep uncared for save by his more faithful compan- lon. the dog
 "One time we had a tenderfoot come to work for us, and the boys had filled him So full of hair raising stories that he never went out on the range without l expecting to be either eaten by bear. or ! scalped by Indians One day he came l running to the house, all out of breath. l that he had seen a bear. We | laughed st him and sent him back to | the range
 "A few days afterward he came in again, more scared than ever. and said I it was bear that time sure Well. we I took our guns and a fo1hound and went out, and, sure enough. over on a hiD | we saw large black animal It wasn't 8 bear. but we couldn't make out ex- Actiy what it was We sent the hound and the shepherd dog that was tending the herd out on its trail. while we fol. lowed on foot The dogs chased the ami. nal over he hill cut of sight Soon the shepherd dog came trotting leisnreIv back and took her place with the herd again Over in a gulch we found the hound standing over & dead animal which upon examination we found to 'e big black Mexican sheep Now. ! hat shepherd dog, as soon as she found [ was nothing but sheep. had given ID the chase and returned 10 her flock 'he knew it was not game and of no count while the hound had followed he trail and killed the sheep. Den sr Post