Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-11-17

lncllneu 10 nSnt, as RUE, ana every
once in a while a big fellow makes a
charge at the sheep dog and occasion
ally lands with the force of a batter
ing ram. But the sheep dog never
tries to retaliate, but continues his pa
tient work as guardian to the foolish
flock. Even at night. when the band
has been worked back toward camp
and is bedded down, the dogs work Is
lily frightened Of all animals, particu-
larly at night. A slight noise will send
the whole sleeping band to it's feet and
scurrying through the darkness. I'm
like cattle they do not run far, but
when coyotes are waiting in every
draw and arroyo it does not take much
of stampede to result in considerable
loss.
Naturally a strong bond Of affection
grows between the average sheep herd
er and his dog. The dogs share the
comforts of the home-like sheep wa
gons in which most of the herders live.
They have the best of food and care,
which is no more than just when one
considers the faithful and intelligent
service they give.
TIL stirring annals of the west are
full of stories Of the devotion and in
teligence of sheep dogs. The herder
who deserts his flock in the face Of
danger considers himself disgraced, and
the dog seems to catch the same spirit
Of faithfulness. Not long ago a herder
in eastern Colorado was struck by
lightning. Many herders meet death
in this way, as thunderstorms on the
plains are frequent, and the guardians
If the hocks usually stand on the
highest hills so they can keep an eye
on all of the struggling bands. In this
instance it was three days before the
herder's body was found, yet his dog
had guarded the band Of sheep all day
and rounded up the bunch at night and
morning had gone through the same
performance. When the camp tender
arrived not a sheep was missing, but
the faithful dog was nearly starved
The fearful blizzards that sweep over
the plains are the greatest menace to
the herders and their canine compan-
ions. In winter the flocks Craze on the
urairies, and in summer they are driv-
en- to the mountains. There Is abso-
'utely no protection on the plains, and
the herder who stays away from his
wagon in one Of these blizzards Is like
" to pay for his folly with his life.
Sometimes the sheep will begin to
drift" before a storm, and the united
efforts Of man and dog will not turn
he band back. The sheep wander on
Until at last they huddle together in
some arroyo and are covered with
drifting snow and soon smother to
death. If the herder and his dog can
not find their way back to camp they
perish miserably.
Last winter a herder in Albany coun-
ty, Wyoming, would have lost his life
but for his collie dog. The man lost
I'll sense Of direction while wandering
IN a blizzard. He knew the flock was
perishing and it was his sole idea to
get back to camp to save his own life.
He struggled on all night with his dog
at his side, but at last gave up in des-
pair and sank down in the drifts to
die Several times he did this but each
time his dog would tug at his clothes
and refuse to allow him to sink into
the Slumber that would have been his
'ast. Aroused by the devotion Of the
dog the herder would struggle to his
feet and stagger on. Finally in the
slackened and he saw a light which
proved to be from a ranch house and
he and his dog were saved.
On the Red Desert of Wyoming a
William Moody was caught in bliz-
zard. Cut off from his camp he wan
dered about the fenceless plain until at
last he sank down and died. He had
two shepherd dogs that stood guard
over his body two weeks. The dogs
lived on the carcasses Of frozen sheep,
and it was through them that search
ing party found the body Of the herd
az lying face down on the snow.
Mexicans are very skillful in train
ing sheep dogs. and the herders Of the
southwest sometimes teach their ca
nine companions many wonderful
tricks, such as going to camp and
bringing back a sack Of tobacco or any
article for which the herder MAJ ask.
Occasionally, on the Montana plains,
one meets an old Scotch herder, who
has cared for sheep in the old coun-
try and who is an enthusiastic and
convincing champion in behalf Of the
pure bred collie.
AS rule, when they have outlived
their usefulness, and can no longer un-
dergo the eXhausting work Of herding
sheep, the faithful dogs are replaced by
Younger animals and spend their re-
naming years on the home ranch, and
who will say that these pensioners
have not earned all the favors they
receive.-Detroit Free Press.