THE COLLIE. 



101 



knew well how to tackle the most obstinate 

 pig in the unfamiliar drove on the way 

 from auction market to railway train, and 

 was an adept at trucking them. He did 

 not handle them too roughly ; one or two 

 barks at the ear of a pig was enough, and 

 although he had the habit of mouthing them 

 on the hocks and about the hind quarters, 

 he seldom drew blood. He was altogether 

 a strikingly commanding dog in appearance, 

 whether driving the pigs or boldly walk- 

 ing up the street at his master's heels. He 

 never fell into an unbeautiful attitude ; there 

 was something pleasing in his expression 

 that drew the eye to him repeatedly. 



Another dog I often watched at his work 

 belonged to a shepherd named Burns, who 

 lived near Selkirk. He was a small, black, 

 smooth-coated Collie, like a cat in move- 

 ments, a regular clever little fellow, weigh- 

 ing no more than 40 Ibs. On one occasion, 

 when returning from a lamb sale and 

 changing trains at Galashiels, Burns thought 

 he would sample the whisky, and missed 

 his connection. The Galawater blend had 

 such an effect upon him that he subsided 

 on a doorstep and fell fast asleep. The 

 police were in the act of removing him 

 when the little black dog beside him flew 

 at them so furiously that they dared not 

 lay a hand on him. On another occasion 

 Burns was at a sale in Edinburgh, and again 

 tried the whisky. He was overcome with 

 sleep in Princes Street near the Scott monu- 

 ment, and, dropping suddenly, was caught 

 by the neck of his coat on one of the iron 

 railings, where he remained hanging. The 

 passers-by attempted to release him, but 

 the dog would allow no one to touch him. 

 So furious did he become that hot irons 

 had to be held at him before the shepherd 

 could be rescued from his awkward position. 



Yet another shepherd I knew lived near 

 Langholm. He had a sable and white 

 Collie named Moss, one of the most sullen- 

 dispositioned dogs I ever encountered, but 

 one of the most faithful. The shepherd 

 never had need to call him, but directed 

 him by a simple movement of the hand. 

 Returning from Carlisle market on one 

 occasion, this shepherd, who was the worse 



for iiquor, quarrelled with his fellow passen- 

 gers in the railway carriage, about ten 

 miles from Langholm. Moss, to the sur- 

 prise of the travellers, came out from 

 beneath the seat just in time to see his 

 master get a severe blow in the face. The 

 dog turned upon the assailant in so deter- 

 mined a manner that he had to be pulled 

 off by the tail while the carriage door was 

 opened, and he was flung out. Faithful 

 Moss was none the worse for the adventure, 

 however, and was home at the farm before 

 his master. He was a well-made, good- 

 coated dog, showing much of the prize 

 Collie in appearance, and one of the clever- 

 est sheepdogs on the Border. I always 

 admired his class of coat. It was the best 

 in texture I ever handled, and when full 

 was like the thatch of a cottage, perfectly 

 rain-proof, as a Collie's coat should be. 



One of the most perfect working Collies 

 in Scotland to-day is Kep, the property of 

 James Scott, of Troneyhill, Hawick. He is 

 only a small dog, but most trusty when 

 given the charge of sheep, and has won 

 many competitions on the trial field. As 

 a companion he is gentle and quiet, and 

 he is a perfect house-dog. Strange to say, 

 he will not look at a rabbit or hare which 

 may rise in front of him when he is duti- 

 fully herding the sheep, but a more alert 

 gun dog and retriever it would be hard to 

 find. When his master lifts the gun Kep 

 is in his element, and not many wounded 

 rabbits are allowed to reach their burrows 

 after the shot is fired. Kep is of the black 

 and white type, which is the most popular 

 among the shepherds of Scotland. At the 

 shows this type of dog is invariably at the 

 top of the class. He is considered the 

 most tractable, and is certainly the most 

 agile. 



Second to this type in favour is the 

 smooth-coated variety, a very hardy, use- 

 ful dog, well adapted for hill work and 

 usually very fleet of foot. He is not so 

 sweet in temper as the black and white, 

 and is slow to make friends. In the Ettrick 

 and Yarrow district I find the smooth 

 a. popular sheepdog. The shepherds main- 

 tain that he climbs the hills more swiftly 



