138 BRITISH QUADRUPEDS. 



fear of the torrent. Hither he had been traced by the 

 dog, "who had never quitted him either night or day, 

 except when it was necessary to go home for food, and 

 he was then always seen running at full speed to and 

 from the cottage. 



To these stories we may now add another striking tale. 

 A young shepherd having resolved to steal some sheep, 

 selected the number one moonlight night, and set off with 

 them towards Edinburgh ; but before he had got them 

 quite off the farm, his conscience smote him, or a dread of 

 that which soon followed, and he quitted the sheep, let- 

 ting them go again to the hill. He called his dog from 

 them, and mounting his pony, rode away. At that 

 time his dog was capering and playing around him, as 

 if glad of having got free of a troublesome business ; 

 and he noticed him no more, till, after having rode 

 about three miles, he thought again and again that he 

 heard something coming up behind him. Halting, at 

 length, to ascertain what it was, in a few minutes his 

 dog came up with the stolen drove, driving them at a 

 furious rate to keep pace with his master. The sheep 

 were all smoking, and hanging out their tongues, and 

 their driver was fully as warm as they. The young man 

 was now exceedingly troubled ; for the sheep having 

 been brought so far from home, he dreaded there would 



