128 WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS chap, 



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, which 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. 

 He 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 third time given, the dog got up, and 

 wagging his tail, looked his master in the face with so comical 

 an expression of interrogation, 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 

 great service in assisting him to kill game. I remember one 

 of these men, who was in the habit of wiring hares, and though 

 the keepers knew of his malpractices, they were for some time 

 unable to catch him in the act, in consequence of his always 

 placing his three dogs as vedettes in different directions, to warn 

 him of the approach of any person. A herd-boy at the farm 

 near my house puts his dog to a curious use. A great part of 

 his flock are sent to pasture on the carse-ground across the 

 river, and when the boy does not want to go across to count 

 them and see that they are all right, deterred from doing so by 

 the water being flooded, or from any other reason, he sends his 

 dog to swim across and collect the sheep on the opposite bank, 

 where he can see them all distinctly. Though there are other 

 sheep on the carse belonging to different people, the dog only 

 brings his Lwn flock. After they are counted and pronounced 

 to be all right by the boy, the dog swims back again to his 

 master. 



Were I to relate the numberless anecdotes of dogs that 

 have been told me, I could fill a volume. 



I am often amused by observing the difference of temper 

 and disposition which is shown by my own dogs — as great a 

 difference, indeed, as would be perceived among the same 

 number of human beings. 



