ANECDOTES. 97 



to send her home with the kebbed ewes just as he got 

 them. I must let the town reader understand this. A 

 kebbed ewe is one whose lamb dies. As soon as such is 

 found, she is immediately brought home by the shepherd, 

 and another lamb put to her ; and Scott on going his 

 rounds on the hill, whenever he found a kebbed ewe, 

 immediately gave her in charge of his bitch to take 

 home, which saved him coming back that way, and 

 going over the same ground he had visited before. She 

 always took them carefully home, and put them into a 

 fold which was close by the house, keeping watch over 

 them till she was seen by some one of the family ; upon 

 which she instantly decamped, and hastened back to her 

 master, who sometimes sent her home three times in one 

 morning with different charges. 



" It was the custom of the farmer to watch her and 

 take the sheep in charge from her ; but this required a 

 good deal of caution, for as soon as she perceived that 

 she was seen, whether the sheep were put in the fold or 

 not, she concluded her charge was at an end, and no 

 flattery could induce her to stay and assist in folding 

 them. There was a display of accuracy in this that I 

 cannot say I have ever seen equalled." 



The stories related of the use of these dogs when 

 employed by sheepstealers are almost incredible, if 

 they had not been thoroughly authenticated at the trial 

 of some of these men who in former times paid the 

 forfeit of their lives for these nefarious practices ; 

 sheepstealing being considered at that time a capital 

 offence. " It is well known that there was a notorious 

 sheepstealer in the county of Mid-Lothian, who, had it 

 not been for the skins and the heads, would never have 

 been condemned, as he could with the greatest ease 



