Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-07-26
WONDERFUL SHEEP DOCS.
Stories OF One OF Breed Brought
from New Zealand to the
West I'm 1873.

u
from New Zealand to the
West In 1875.
THE most wonderful breed of shep-
herd dog ever known in the west" said
Jud Bristol, the old-time sheep man of
Fort Collins. Col, "were those bred
from a pair of New Zealand dogs
brought 20 Colorado in 1875. 1 had sew
cral of their pups on my ranges and
could fill volume with instances Of
their rare intelligence and faithfuiness.
Il remember one pup in particular.
He was only six months old when he
was sent out one day to work on the
range. At night when the herd was
brought up to the corrals we saw at
once that part of the herd was miss
ing. There were 1000 head in the
bunch when they went out in the morn
ing, but when we put them through
the chute we found that 200 were miss
ing. Well, all hands turned out for the
search. We hunted all the night and all
the next day, and did not find the lost
sheep until along toward night. But
there they were all herded in a little
draw, about five miles from home, and
there was the faithful dog stand
ing guard. The wolves were very plen-
tiful in those days, and the dog had ac-
tually hidden the sheep from the ami
mails in the draw. The poor fellow was
nearly famished, as he had been for SO
hours without food or water. From
that day he became hero. but was so
badly affected from hunger, exposure
and thirst. and subsequent overlooking
- IL Il - - 49,
ward.
''This same pups mother was an es-
pecially fine animal. One night the
herder brought in his focks and hur-
ried to his cabin to cook himself some
supper, for he was more than usually
hungry. But he missed the dog, which
usually followed him to the cabin of an
evening to have her supper. The herd
er thought rather strange of it, but
made no search for the dog that night.
But when he went down to the corrals
the next morning he found the gate
open and the faithful dog standing
guard over the focks. The herder, in
his haste the night before. had forgot
ten to close the gate, and the dog, more
faithful than her master, mad remained
at her post all night, though suffering
from hunger and thirst.
ION another occasion this same dog
was left to watch flock of sheep near
the herder's cabin while the herder got
his supper. After the herder had eaten
lis 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 sup
per, she started off over the prairie as
fast as she could go. The herder put
the sheep in the corral and went 10 bed.
About midnight he was awakened by
the loud barking of a dog owned by
the corrals. He got up, dressed him
self and went down to the corrals, and
there found the dog with a band Of
about so sheep which had strayed off
without the herder's 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 a
new herder to an outlying ranch, some
IS miles distant. That night she came
home and by her actions told us that
there was something wrong at the
ranch. Well, we mounted our broncos
soon found out what the matter was.
The new herder was simply tramp,
who, as soon as he had got good feed,
had lit out and left the sheep uncared
for, save by his more faithful compan-
ion, the dog.
Zone time we had tenderfoot come
to work for US, and the boys had filed
him so full of hair-raising stories that
he never went out on the range without
expecting to be eaten by bears or
scalped by Indians. One day he came
running to the house, all out of breath,
declaring he had seen a bear. We
laughed at him and sent him back to
the range.
"a few days afterward he came in
again, more scared than ever, and said
it was bear that time sure. Well, we
took our guns and went out, and, sure
enough, over on hill we saw large,
black animal. It wasn't bear, but we
couldn't make out exactly what it was.
We sent the no; nd and the shepherd
dog that was tending the herd on it's
trail, while we followed on foot. The
dogs chased the animal over the bill
out of sight. Soon the shepherd dog
came trotting leisurely back and took
her place among the herd again. Over
in gulch we found the hound standing
over dead animal. which upon exam
ination we found to be big black Mex
lean sheep. Now. that shepherd dog.
as soon as she found it was nothing but
a sheep. had given up the chase and re-
turned to her flock. She knew it was
not game and of no account, while the
hound followed the trail and killed the
sheep.'-Denver Post
Toreador Earned 100000 q Year.
A successful toreador published his