CHAP, xiv.] HIGHLAND SHEPHERDS' DOGS. Ill 



hill. On our return we invariably found that he had either 

 given up his charge to the shepherd's wife or some other respon- 

 sible person, or had driven them, unassisted, into the fold, lying 

 down himself at the narrow entrance to keep them from getting 

 out till his master came home. At other times I have seen a 

 dog keeping watch on the hill on a flock of sheep, allowing 

 them to feed all day, but always keeping sight of them, and 

 bringing them home at a proper hour in the evejiing. In fact 

 it is difficult to say what a shepherd's dog would not do to assist 

 his master, who would be quite helpless without him in a High- 

 land district. 



Generally speaking these Highland sheepdogs do not show 

 much aptness in learning to do anything not connected in some 

 way or other with sheep or cattle. They seem to have been 

 brought into the world for this express purpose, and for no 

 other. 



They watch their master's small crop of oats or potatoes with 

 great fidelity and keenness, keeping off all intruders in the shape 

 of sheep, cattle, or horses. A shepherd once, to prove the 

 quickness of his dog, who was lying before the fire in the house 

 where we were talking, said to me, in the middle of a sentence 

 concerning something else "I'm thinking, Sir, the cow is in 

 the potatoes." Though he purposely laid no stress on these 

 words, and said them in a quiet unconcerned tone of voice, the 

 dog, who appeared to be asleep, immediately jumped up, and 

 leaping through the open window, scrambled up the turf roof of 

 the house, from which he could see the potato-field. lie then 

 (not seeing the cow there) ran and looked into the byre where 

 she was, and finding that all was right, came back to the house. 

 After a short time the shepherd said the same words again, and 

 the dog repeated his look-out ; but on the false alarm being a 

 tJiird tinte given, the dog got up, and wagging his tail, looked 

 his master in the face with so comical an expression of interro- 

 gation, that we could not help laughing aloud at him, on which, 

 with a slight growl, he laid himself down in his warm corner, 

 with an offended air, and as if determined not to be made a fool 

 of again. 



Occasionally a poaching shepherd teaches his dog to be of 

 gnat service in assisting him to kill game. I remember one of 



