DOGS. 85 



'On one occasion, about 700 lambs, which were under 

 his care at weaning time, broke up at midnight, and 

 scampered off in three divisions across the neighbouring 

 hills, in spite of all that he and an assistant could do to 

 keep them together. The night was so dark, that we 

 could not see Sirrah ; but the faithful animal heard his 

 master lament their absence in words which of all others 

 were sure to set him most on the alert ; and without 

 more ado, he silently set off in quest of the recreant 

 flock. Meanwhile the shepherd and his companion did 

 not fail to do all in their power to recover their lost 

 charge; they spent the whole night in scouring the hills 

 for miles around, but of neither the lambs nor Sirrah 

 could they obtain the slightest trace. They had nothing 

 for it, day having dawned, but to return to then- master, 

 and inform him that they had lost the whole flock of 

 lambs, and knew not what had become of one of them. 

 On our way home, however, we discovered a lot of lambs 

 at the bottom of a deep ravine, and the indefatigable 

 Sirrah standing in front of them, looking round for some 

 relief, but still true to his charge. The sun was then up, 

 and when we first came in view, we concluded that it 

 was one of the divisions which Sirrah had been unable 

 to manage until he came to that commanding situation. 

 But what was our astonishment, when we discovered 

 that not one lamb of the whole flock was wanting ! 

 How he had got all the divisions collected in the dark 

 is beyond my comprehension. The charge was left to 

 himself from midnight until the rising sun ; and if all 

 the shepherds in the Forest had been there to assist him, 

 they could not have effected it with greater propriety.' 



An exceedingly good shepherd's dog appears to con- 

 centrate all his powers in his own immediate vocation ; 



