88 MR. Hogg's dog. 



he and I went the day before. When we came over 

 the great height towards Manor Water, Sirrah and his 

 charge happened to cross it a little before me : our way 

 lying down steep hills, I lost all traces of them, but still 

 held on my track. I came to two shepherds' houses, 

 and asked if they had seen anything of a black dog, 

 with a branded face and long tail, driving a sheep? 

 No, they had seen no such thing ; and besides, all 

 their sheep both above and below the houses seemed 

 to be unmoved. I had nothing for it but to hold on 

 my way homeward ; and at length, on the comer of a 

 hill at the side of the water, I discovered my trusty 

 coal-black friend sitting with his eye fixed intently on 

 the burn below him, and sometimes giving a casual 

 glance behind to see if I was coming : he had the ewe 

 standing there, safe and unhurt. When I got her 

 home, and set her at liberty among our own sheep, he 

 took it highly amiss. I could scarcely prevail with 

 him to let her go ; and so dreadfully affronted was he 

 that she should have been let go free after all his toil 

 and trouble, that he would not come near me all the 

 way to the house, nor yet taste any supper when we 

 got there. I believe he wanted me to take her home 

 and kill her. He had one very laughable peculiarity, 

 which often created no little disturbance about the 

 house : it was an outrageous ear for music. He never 

 heard music but he drew towards it ; and he never 



