Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-11-17
SHEEP DOGS.
Wonderful intelligence of Most Faith
fuI Animals.

the solitary restaurant boaStcd by the
thriving sheep and cattle town Of Buff
falo. in northern Wyoming. Instead OF
the beautiful, silky haired collies con-
jured by the imagination, there trotted
at his heels two rather small dogs, one
black from tip to tip and the other
black, save for a white breast
Introduction to Jim Everett, like in
Productions to nearly all the outdoor
men of the west, was not a matter of
getting a card past stony featured
private secretary. In three minutes
Jim was eXpatiating on the accom-
plishmentS Of his sheep dogs and eX-
tending an invitation to the writer to
witness some of their featS-a bid that
was promptly accepted.
Next day on the vast open range
through which Crazy Woman creek, a
branch of Powder river, leaves an al
kali whitened trail, Big Jim showed
what his sheep dogs could do.
I'm the first place" said Jim, these
dogs are not pure bred collies. as you
dog for sheep-in Scotland-but over
here he needs a big strain of the wolf
in him to make him effective. These
dogs are half wolf. l caught their
day these pups show more of the wolf
strain than they do of the collie Their
ears are always pointed up and they
can hear twice as well as an ordinary
out for danger, and their feet-well
that is their strong point. You see
how thick the cactus grows in this
country. Well, an ordinary dog has
he comes into camp at night with the
band Of sheep. After the band has
been bedded the herders got to spend
an hour or two by the camp fire pick
ing thorns out of the dogs feet. But
these wolf dogs have cushions on their
feet that are tougher than sole leath-
er. You never see an old wolf out on
the plains lying down and chewing cac-
do you see these dogs doing the same
trick Just for this reason alone the
wolf strain makes an animal like Mig
or Lady the ideal sheep tender"
Mig and Lady at this time We're sew
eral rods away, sitting on their
launches and looking out across the
plains with that peculiar alert ex-
preston that never seemed to desert
them. Jim did not raise his voice
above the conversational pitch, but on
the contrary dropped it little when
he said:
Where's that coyote?"
The human ear at it's sharpest could
not have detected the words at dis
tance of more than ten feet, but Mig
and Lady heard every word and in
stantly they were up and away, racing
around the band Of sheep and ready to
grapple with any prowling coyote OF
wolf that might be lurking in a shell
tering arroyo Suddednly Jim raised
his arms until they extended in hor-
izontal position, and then he let them
fall at his side. Instantly Mig and
Lady stopped and sat down with their
eyes on their master.
You see it's not much use to yell
at dog, especially when you've got to
yell against a Wyoming windstorm,' u
said Jim. so I've trained my dogs to
work to signals-regular brakeman sig
nails they are"
Here Jim waved one hand toward
the left and Mig and Lady trotted off
in that direction.
IF l want 'em to run around the
sheep the other way" said Jim, 81
just wave the other hand. When !
want them to come in 1 just raise my
hands over my head like this
Up went the giants brawny arms
and in trotted the sheep dogs and took
their station at their masters feet. At
motion one Of the dogs took a long
excursion around the band looking for
stray lambs that might have become
separated from the flock, thereby offer
ing themselves as easy prey for coy
otes. Another motion and the remain
ing dog cut out single sheep from
the bunch and lay down to guard 1t.
That dog will watch that sheep for
hours, until I call him off," said Jim,
and it would go hard with anybody
who tried to touch the sheep that's un-
der his care"
Like good soldiers Big Jim's sheer
dogs hold duty paramount. They love
their master, but at a word from him
they would go willingly with another
sheep man and work for the stranger
Jim himself is not a herder. He has
graduated and is camp tender for one
of the big sheep outfits that make their
headquarters at Buffalo. In other
days, when the long-horn steer was
king of the range, Jim was a cowboy,
but like many other cowmen he drifted
naturally into the once despised sheep
business. Bigger pay, less work and
a dashed sight better treatment" is
Jims brief summing up Of the reasons
for his desertion Of the cattle game.
A day or two after he had shown
what his dogs could do big jim
created something of a commotion in
Buffalo. The most peaceful and good
natured Of men, Jim bazes into fierce
anger when any one ventures to abuse
his dogs. a drunken cattleman from
Powder river way staggered into the
restaurant where Jim was eating. The
sheep mans dogs were curled up near
the door, and the cattleman, who was
just drunk enough to be ugly, kicked
one of the animals. Instantly Jim's
great hulk lowered over the fellow
There was a sickening smash as the
giants fist found lodgment on the cat
tleman'S face. and the man from Pow
der river tumbled into an unconscious
heap in the corner Big Jim grasped
him by the collar and tried to get him
to his feet, but the fellows legs bent
under him in helplessness, and, in prize
ring parance, ii was evident that he
was down and out" When he recov-
cred consciousness he crawled out OF
the restaurant, and, swaying unstead-