ANECDOTES. 101 



void of muscular power, and hang-ing- from the hinder part of the leg-. They are 

 no otherwise an impediment, but as they are liable to be torn by briars, and may 

 be clipped off with sharp scissars, before the whelp can see. 



Of all the various Species, there are none of which so many stories have been re- 

 lated of sag-acity, fidelity and attachment to human nature, -as of the Newfound land 

 and the Shepherd's Dog ; some of these are well authenticated. The authenticity 

 of the following, extracted from the Sporting Magazine for November 1819, we 

 have no doubt may be relied on. Some time since, a person living in Yorkshire, 

 purchased a large flock of sheep from the County of Durham : after several days 

 travel, the Shepherd, named Andrew, set out about ten miles to meet them, accom- 

 panied by his old friend, his dog Trusty. The sheep being all safely brought home, 

 and driven into a large home -stead field, until a convenient opportunity should occur 

 of dividing them into smaller flocks, Trusty was left with them all night, as a 

 guard. On Andrew visiting the field next morning, to his great surprise and 

 mortification, he. missed fifteen of the sheep, together with poor Trusty ! " Gads 

 blood !" said Andrew, " what noo ? weel I'll e'en leave it to Trusty, for he'll ne'er 

 leave them, sar long as he has a pad to tread on." At the end of two days and 

 three nights, old Andrew's ears were gladdened by the barking- of Trusty, who 

 was then entering a corner of the Village in the rear of the whole fifteen runaways, 

 and driving them before him with great care. It is impossible to ascertain 

 the distance they must have gone, as they had much Wold Country to run over. 



Some years since, in the month of February, as Mr. Boulstead's son, of Great Sal- 

 kield in Cumberland, was attending the sheep of his father upon the Commons of 

 that parish, he had the misfortune to fall and break his leg. He was then at the 

 distance of three miles from home, no chance of any person's coming within call, 

 in so unfrequented a place, and evening fast approaching : in this dreadful 

 dilemma, suffering- extreme pain from the fracture, and lying upon the damp 

 ground at so dreary a season of the year, his agitated spirits suggested to him the 

 following expedient folding one of his gloves in his pocket-handkerchief, he 

 fastened it round the neck of the dog, and rather emphatically ordered him 

 home !" These dogs, trained so admirably to orders and signals, during their 

 attendance upon the flock, are well known to be under the strictest subjection, 

 and to execute the commands of their masters, with an alacrity scarcely to be 

 conceived. 



Perfectly convinced of some, to him inexplicable disquietude, from the situation 

 in which his master laid, he set off at a pace which soon brought him to the house, 

 where he scratched with great violence at the door for immediate admittance. 

 This obtained, the parents were in the utmost consternation at his appearance, and 

 much more, when they had examined the contents of the handkerchief upon the 

 dog's neck. Instantly concluding that some accident had befallen their son, they 

 did not delay a moment going in search of him, and the faithful dog, con- 



P 



