3K SOUTHDOWN SHEPHERD 2I~ 



clumsy terror. You must look out for yourself 

 and keep an eye over your shoulder, except among 

 the sheep-pens. 



There are thousands of sheep, all standing with 

 their heads uphill. At the corner of each pen the 

 shepherd plants his crook upright : some of them 

 have long brown handles, and these are of hazel 

 with the bark on ; others are ash, and one of wil- 

 low. At the corners, too, just outside, the dogs 

 are chained, and, in addition, there is a whole row 

 of dogs fastened to the tent pegs. The majority 

 of the dogs thus collected together from many 

 miles of the Downs are either collies, or show a 

 very decided trace of the collie. 



One old shepherd, an ancient of the ancients, grey 

 and bent, has spent so many years among his sheep 

 that he has lost all notice and observation there 

 is no "speculation in his eye" for anything but his 

 sheep. In his blue smock frock, with his brown 

 umbrella, which he has had no time or thought to 

 open, he stands listening, all intent, to the conver- 

 sation of the gentlemen who are examining his 

 pens. He leads a young restless collie by a chain ; 

 the links are polished to a silvery brightness by 

 continual motion; the collie cannot keep still; 

 now he runs one side, now the other, bumping 

 the old man, who is unconscious of everything 

 but the sheep. 



-a6 5 _ 



