124 THE BOOK OF A NATURALIST 



with our sheep. The shepherd, assisted by his 

 dog, maps out his whole life for him, from birth 

 to death, and he is not permitted to stray from the 

 path in which he is made to walk. But if a lamb 

 be taken from the flock and reared at a farm and 

 given the same liberty that cats and dogs and even 

 many goats enjoy, he will in almost every case 

 develop a character of his own. 



I remember a tame sheep we once had at my 

 home on the pampas who in thieving could give 

 points to many thievish dogs, not excepting the 

 pointer himself, the most accomplished thief in the 

 entire canine gang. Tobacco and books were the 

 objects this mischievous beast was perpetually 

 foraging for when she could get into the house. 

 Tobacco was hard to come at even when she had 

 a good long time to look for it before some one 

 came on the scene to send her about her business 

 with a good whack or a kick. But books were 

 often left lying about on tables and chairs and 

 were easily got at. She knew very well that it was 

 wrong and that if detected she would have to 

 suffer, but she was exceedingly cunning, and from 

 a good distance would keep an eye on the house, 

 and when she saw or cunningly guessed that no 

 person was in the sitting- or dining-room or any 

 other room with the door standing open, she would 

 steal quietly in and finding a book would catch 

 it hastily up and make off with it. Carrying it off 

 to the plantation she would set it down, put her 

 hoof on it, and start tearing out the leaves and 



