Sheep- Dog Trials 221 



creeping like a snake towards the sheep to 

 urge them to enter the narrow opening of 

 the lane ; at another moment to spring and 

 dash off to round up an erring sheep who 

 had broken away, and yet to do it all so 

 quietly as not to unduly alarm or excite the 

 animals. 



The final business of penning was perhaps 

 the least difficult of all, though at times the 

 driven creatures were exceedingly obstinate 

 about entering the pen. I may at once say 

 that out of the fourteen competitors only 

 four succeeded in the task set them within 

 the allotted time. 



It would occupy too much space to describe 

 the working of each individual animal, but I 

 will simply say that " Lassie," the first prize- 

 winner, was marvellously clever. She found 

 and gathered her sheep smartly, and brought 

 them down through the gateway steadily, 

 and through the goal-posts in good order. 



