The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-03-07

Y x p
etcrs used to stand in the door of the
blacksmith shop and watch the per-
spring men in big leather aprons ham.
Ter and pound iron as easily as If it
were snow, and one could only wish
thst he were poet, and like the poet
OF New England, sing the praises of
The blacksmith-es OF Demange-aux-
Faux.
The good shepherd always takes
care Of his flock. In this case it is a
big black dog, nervous, WiIy, impatient,
his bushy tail waving like plume. and
half foot of red hanging out of his
eager mouth, as he drives his charges
lip the street, called Rue de Grande
by the natives. and which some wag
! in khaki has Designated as Broadway.
and christened by posting a wooden
sign or post by the wayside. There are
:vo other shepherds besides the dog,
to be exact, a shepherd and a shepherd.
css, for like the blacksmithess, the
shepherdess Of France, and for that
matter England, too, is a familiar fig
are. She always walks a. the head OF
the herd, the old man with her or at
the side of the flock, while at the,
rear is the real shepherd, important
and faithful to the trus. imposed in
him.
Let truck come up the road, a big
cargo truck, or smaller ammunition
body truck. numbering like an elephant,
and the collie shepherd knows his duty
at once. Rules of the road are turn to-
the right, and some CT the so-called in
telligent specimens who drive autos
through American streets might well
take lessons in rules of the road
from this Shepherd dog of France.
The minute he hears the truck,
ind that is usually when 1t is
block and q half or two away,
be darts forward, clear to the head
IF the flock and by short business
like barks, whips the bell sheep over
10 the right side CT the road. On down
the herd he goes. and BY we'll directed
nips and barks he has headed the I'M
rrly bunch over towards the gutter and
along the side Of the Buildings. All but
che stubborn animal at the rear, which
is counting death and the notoriety Of
claim against the American govern
ment for its owner, by staying in the
middle Of the road.
But it does not linger long. A few
well directed nips on the bind legs and
it fairly catapults itself over with
the rest of its wool clad brethren, fol-
lowed by black streak which like the1
good shepherd that he is. patrols the
road now that the truck Is passing. toll
see that some over confident eve or
ram does not transgress the rules of
the road. and stick a head or shoulder
out too soon
The truck gone in 2 whfri Of mud, the !
dog looks up and down The road, and
then gently invites the herd once more |
to continue the journey up the street.
The hard headed individual in the rear
Ct the rank, who is insistent on
breaking discipline, heads for FREQ
lunch over in barn across the road. |
He has almost succeeded in making his |
getaway, when the shepherd discovers |
lis charge is "awol." Ensues chorus
CT yips and barks that rouses the other I
two shepherds from their apparent |
iethargy to the fact that they must (
ster-mother the flccs for minute, /
and off the klaci- shepherd goes. With !
a. bound he clears the road, second /
carries him into the barn. with The re-
suit that there is a confusion of bark |
ing and bleating, that brings even the
lhlegnnatic umbrella member to the /
door.
Out of the barn on the run, bleating
Ing lie SlIls.ll j1Oy VIII Ids Dt6n IlChSQ
on the corner of the next block from
home, the big sheep hotsbles across tn,
.cad, at its heels the. good shepherd
n1pping at a leg o mutton at
every other step and Barking like :
fiend. Once more the prodigaI is re-
stored to the flock, and once more,
slumy tail waving, and red tongue
banging half out OF His mouth, the +
sheppard makes his way with the flock
,m up the street, keeping sharp lookout
for grooming trucks, the shepherdess
resrning her Knitting as she walks
along, and the other members of the
party falling out of line
to break bottle of vim rouge with an
old crony. But this latter offense
evokes no outburst from the dog. Per
laps he has exchanged winks with the
old man, and PERHAPS he thinks il as
wise not to call attention to family
failings.
Perhaps you will agree that his ma
iesty, the dog. is a good shepherd and
a wise animal.
prairies of Iowa at the close of the
~rl r.. /.