124 THE BOOK OF A NATURALIST 
with our sheep. The shepherd, assisted by his 
dog, maps out his whole life for him, from birth 
to death, and he is not permitted to stray from the 
path in which he is made to walk. But if a lamb 
be taken from the flock and reared at a farm and 
given the same liberty that cats and dogs and even 
many goats enjoy, he will in almost every case 
develop a character of his own. 
I remember a tame sheep we once had at my 
home on the pampas who in thieving could give 
points to many thievish dogs, not excepting the 
pointer himself, the most accomplished thief in the 
entire canine gang. Tobacco and books were the 
objects this mischievous beast was perpetually 
foraging for when she could get into the house. 
Tobacco was hard to come at even when she had 
- a good long time to look for it before some one 
came on the scene to send her about her business 
with a good whack or a kick. But books were 
often left lying about on tables and chairs and 
were easily got at. She knew very well that it was 
wrong and that if detected she would have to 
suffer, but she was exceedingly cunning, and from 
a good distance would keep an eye on the house, 
and when she saw or cunningly guessed that no 
person was in the sitting- or dining-room or any 
other room with the door standing open, she would 
steal quietly in and finding a book would catch 
it hastily up and make off with it. Carrying it off 
to the plantation she would set it down, put her 
hoof on it, and start tearing out the leaves and 
