332 THIEVING DOGS AND HORSES 



mile from the tower, so, leaving Yarrow in charge, he went 

 home, calling directions to the dog as long as he dared. 



Left to himself, and feeling that he was put upon 

 his honour, Yarrow rushed furiously at the oldest and 

 most obstinate ewe on the ground, and drove her into 

 the water, frightened out of her wits, for she thought she 

 was going to be bitten ; struggling to get away, two others 

 tumbled over the bank after her, and were drowned in 

 the stream ; the rest became wilder than ever, and as by 

 this time the sun was well above the horizon, Yarrow 

 knew that he too must follow his master, and leave the 

 sheep to their fate. 



Late that same evening the sheep might have been 

 seen wending their way wearily home with new marks 

 on their bodies, hastily daubed on by Millar in a lonely 

 hollow of the hills. 



The thieves thought that they had escaped before 

 any prying people were up and about ; but they must have 

 been watched by some unseen person, for information of 

 their misdoings was given, and they were soon lodged 

 safe in gaol. The case was easily proved, and both 

 Millar and his master condemned to death, for in those 

 days there were very few crimes which did not lead to 

 the gallows. When he saw that it was useless to deny 

 the fact any more, Millar told the whole story to a 

 respectable sheep farmer who came to visit him in prison, 

 and they both agreed that they did not know which was 

 most surprising, the obstinacy of the sheep in refusing to 

 cross the river, or the perseverance of the dog in trying 

 to force them to do it ! 



The two thieves were hanged on the appointed day ; 

 but Yarrow was bought by a sheep farmer in the county, 

 who hoped to train him to honest work. But it was too 

 late ; his teaching had all been in one direction, and when 

 he found he was not allowed to show his cunning in 

 driving away other people's property, he grew quite 

 stupid, and could never be trusted to do even the com- 



