CHAPTER FOURTEEN ON DOGS 



had driven them, unassisted, into the fold, lying down him- 

 self at the narrow entrance to keep them from getting out 

 till his master came home. At other times I have seen a 

 dog keeping watch on the hill on a flock of sheep, allowing 

 them to feed all day, but always keeping sight of them, and 

 bringing them home at a projaer hour in the evening. In 

 fact it is difficult to say what a shepherd's dog would not 

 do to assist his master, who would be quite helpless with- 

 out him in a Highland district. 



Generally speaking these Highland sheepdogs do not 

 show much aptness in learning to do anything not connect- 

 ed in some way or other with sheep or cattle. They seem to 

 have been brought into the world for this express purpose, 

 and for no other. 



They watch their master's small crop of oats or potatoes 

 with great fidelity and keenness, keeping off all intruders 

 in the shape of sheep, cattle, or horses. A shepherd once, to 

 prove the quickness of his dog, who was lying before the fire 

 in the housewhere we were talking, said tome.in the middle 

 of a sentence, concerning something else — "I'm thinking. 

 Sir, the cow is in the potatoes." Though he purposely laid 

 no stress on these words, and said them in a quiet uncon- 

 cerned tone of voice, the dog, who appeared to be asleep, 

 immediately jumped up, and leaping through the open 

 window,scrambled up the turf roof of the house, from which 

 he could see the potato-field. He then (not seeing the cow 

 there) ran and looked into the byre where she was, and 

 finding that all was right, came back to the house. After a 

 short time the shepherd said the same words again, and 

 the dog repeated his look-out; but on the false alarm being 

 179 



