The San Francisco call., 1910-07-10
DIV JESSIE MILES nURNERs

II ERE is a true story, juniors, of
how Rover saved Jims life and
In fashion it would be hard for
many dogs to understand, though Alon-
20 could tell you that most dogs under
stand a great deal more than people
think
Rover lives in Oregon, i'm the valley
OF the Big Elk river. The house where
jim, his master, lives is really wav
way up on the mountain but along
the coast slope all the land between
Two water sheds drained by any main
river and its branches is called that
river valley. Jim's cabin is more thnn
two miles away from the nearest road.
ana part OF the trail to 1t lies through
the timber, where IT is dark and lonely
even at MONDAY, and one part of the
trali is over mountain side so steep
the path zigzags to get to the top
swltchback, they call Ii when II is a
real road or railroad. Jim is home
steadlng government claim, and he
chose TO go back there in the hills be-
cause he is cattleman He raises
some cattle and buys. sells fattens and
trades others and he thinks the open
range beyond him will not be settled
Tor good while and the cattle like to
feed on the wild grass that grows
there and thrive well on it,
Rover is brown, brindled fellow not
very big, with a rough, shaggy coat and
beautiful brown eyes. Nobody would
think of picking him out for a ribbon
winner at dog show. His father was
Pete, a cow dog" which is a mongrel
breed peculiar, l believe to that local
ity. They are not very wise, but the
farmers find them useful in driving the
cattle, because they are so swift and
strong. In open range country-that is
unfenced-the grass is not good high up
on the mountain sides until late fall
and cattle will not often climb over a
divide into fresher pasturage unless
driven, so the owners every few weeks
drive them to a new range. and that is
when the COW dog is valuable for he
can turn the widest, feetest, biggest
steer back into the trail when his mas
ter says, Hi! Pete! Look! Round
him up!' Except when at this work
Pete was real no account dog. He
usually stayed with Mr. White around
the home place, but there were some
kinds of work that must often be done
in clearing homestead that Pete
hated. One was clearing when brush
and trees would come topping and flop
ping he didn't know where and he
couldn't get even little good nap even
on the hottest day; and one was plow-
ing, in which there is no fun for any
use. Any morning when he saw prep
aration for either of these Pete would
march out of the lane gate with the
cows when they were turned out and
stay with them until night.
Rover's mother was a black and
white collie very. very well bred. Col
lies, you know, have been trained to
the handling of animals until they
seem to know by instinct, and with
just a little training they can manage
a bunch of sheep or cattle much bet
ter than a man can. Sheep are timid,
foolish creatures, and out there in the
hills they will stampede at sight of
a strange dog in as great a panic as
though it were a bear, and yet Lady"
as Rover's mother was called could
round them up even when they had
been frightened, and keep them NOV
ing slowly along without startling
even the widest ones. They knew her
ani seemed to understand what she
wanted them to do.
Jim lives alone on his homestead, and