270 COLLIES, OB SHEEP DOGS 



As soon as the door of the fold was shut, Hogg went 

 in to his own supper, and then put down Hector's ; but 

 the dog was nowhere to be seen. Hogg whistled and 

 called for some time, but to no purpose, and finally he 

 gave it up and went to bed, wondering how in the world 

 he was to drive his lambs to market without the help of 

 his collie. 



His first question when he woke was whether Hector 

 had come home ; but no one had seen or heard anything 

 of him. What was to be done? Each person suggested 

 something different, till it was decided that the shepherd's 

 father should feed the lambs and get them ready for their 

 walk (shepherds take a great deal of pride in having a 

 smart flock), while Hogg rode as fast as he could back to 

 the farm to ask if Hector had returned there. So father 

 and son left the house together, to bring the lambs out of 

 the fold, and when they reached the door there was poor 

 Hector sitting before it, never taking his eyes off his 

 charges, for fear lest they should run away ! There he 

 had sat all the night long in the pouring rain, hungry and 

 tired, a martyr to what he considered his duty, though a 

 wiser dog would have known that, once they were in the 

 fold, he need not trouble about tbe lambs any further. 



The Hoggs had a cat which Hector hated with a 

 deadly hatred, though he was too good-natured to hurt 

 her, however provoking she might be. His way of 

 revenging himself for puss's impertinence towards him 

 was to ' point ' her, as if she was a bird, whenever they 

 were in the room together. If annoyed at being watched 

 in this manner, the cat got up and sat in another place, 

 Hector was sure to follow her and begin again ; and this 

 went on till he had to go to his work or else fell asleep. 



Hector had a very small appetite, and often the only 

 way to make him eat was to bring in the cat and set her 

 to the plate. Then he got furious at her attempting to 

 take what belonged to him ; his eyes glared, and his tail 

 stood up straight with anger. When her nose touched 



