190 OUR HUMBLE HELPERS 



you.' And without glancing at them he continues 

 his watchful following of the flock. It is wise of 

 him, for already some sheep have stopped to crop 

 the grass at the side of the road. To make them re- 

 join the flock takes but a minute. At this spot the 

 hedge is open, and through the gap a part of the 

 flock reaches a field of green wheat. To follow these 

 undisciplined ones by the same breach would betray 

 a lack of skill ; the sheep, driven from behind, would 

 only stray still farther into the forbidden field. But 

 the wily keeper will not commit this fault ; he makes 

 a rapid detour, jumps over the hedge as best he can, 

 and presents himself suddenly in front of the flock, 

 which hastily retreats by the way it came, not with- 

 out leaving some tufts of wool on the bushes. 



"Now the flock meets another. A mixing up, a 

 confusion of mine and thine, must be prevented. 

 The dog thoroughly understands the gravity of the 

 situation. Along the flanks of the two bleating flocks 

 he maneuvers busily, running from one end to the 

 other, back and forth, to check at the outset any at- 

 tempt at desertion from one to the other flock. " 



"Then," said Emile, "he knows his sheep, every 

 single one of them, to be able thus to distinguish 

 which belong to him and which do not. ' r 



"One would almost say so, such discernment does 

 he show. 



"Scarcely is this difficulty overcome when another 

 presents itself. Here, right and left, the road has no 

 fences ; access to the fields is free on both sides. The 

 temptation to the flock is great, for here and there 



