110 The Collie or Sheep Dog. 



judges. The three sheep are liberated, Fan, a grey and 

 white little bitch, pricks her ears and brightens her eyes, 

 but does not leave the heels of her master. He snaps his 

 fingers, " Hie to 'em, lass," and sharp as the arrow from the 

 bow Fan bounds in front, steadies herself, looks around, spies 

 a black head and a pair of curved short horns, and is behind 

 her sheep in an instant. One might think, as the latter look 

 wildly around, they would rush off in different directions. 

 The wether stamps his foot, the young ewes press closer to 

 him. Fan stops for orders with one eye on the sheep, the 

 other on her worker ; both ears sharply open to any sound 

 from the latter. " Gang on ! " calls the Cumbrian, and on goes 

 the bitch to the sheep, who, staring at her a moment, see 

 determination in her eyes and turn to flee. They try to 

 separate, the collie bitch will not allow this, but keeps about 

 five yards behind her minute flock, and, just as a good grey- 

 hound wrenches with his hare, moves to this side and to 

 that as the sheep appear to incline one way or the other. 

 " Git away ! " is the cry that reaches Fan, who drives in a 

 direction contrary to that from whence the order comes, 

 and a mighty waving of the huge hands she sees as she 

 looks around, and, obeying the command, sends the little 

 flock, now under command, on the far side of the first flag. 

 Proceeding, a sharp whistle or two keeps Fan at her task, 

 and, as she too nearly approaches the near side of a second 

 flag, " Away back ! " is promptly obeyed, and this stage of 

 the journey is safely accomplished, and a third signal mark 

 is equally well rounded. 



Now there comes a " sheep trod " or footpath used by the 

 natives of the country, and up this the three sheep will go, 

 totally oblivious of the duty they are expected to perform, 

 and, fancying themselves on their own hills, gallop as hard 



