218 O'er Crag and Torrent 



than friendly ; and furthermore, being Welsh 

 mountain sheep, they were exceptionally 

 wild and active. Each dog, as called up by 

 the judges, was at a given signal sent away 

 by his handler or worker to find the sheep, 

 the man not being permitted to move from 

 the spot whence the dog started until it had 

 found them ; the moment they were found, 

 however, the man might proceed to the 

 open gateway at the foot of the hill, but not 

 through it. The dog having gathered the 

 sheep together which was generally not by 

 any means too easy a task had to bring 

 them down gently and quietly, for if the 

 sheep rushed through the gateway it was an 

 adverse point, whilst it was a point in the 

 dog's favour if he brought them down so 

 gently that they were not alarmed or excited, 

 and walked quietly through. The sheep 

 having come through the gateway, the man 

 was then allowed to take them in hand, and 



