THE COLLIE, OR SHEPHERD'S DOG 15 



shepherd found he must ascend a summit at some distance 

 to get a more extensive view of his range, and as the 

 ascent was too fatiguing for the child he left him at the 

 bottom, with strict injunctions not to stir till his return. 

 He had scarcely reached the top when one of those im- 

 penetrable mists came on suddenly which descend so 

 rapidly amongst the mountains, in the space of a few 

 minutes turning day almost into night. The shepherd 

 instantly hastened back to find his child, but, owing to the 

 darkness, he missed his way in the descent. He searched 

 fruitlessly' for many hours among the morasses, till night 

 overtook him. To renew the search that night was dan- 

 gerous and fruitless. He was, therefore, obliged to return 

 to his cot, having lost both child and dog, the latter 

 having attended him faithfully for years. Next morning 

 by daybreak he set out, accompanied by a band of his 

 neighbours, in search of the child, but after a day spent 

 in fruitless fatigue he was at last compelled by the approach 

 of night to descend from the mountain. On returning 

 to his cottage he found that the dog he had lost the day 

 before had been home, and on receiving a piece of cake 

 had instantly disappeared. For several successive days 

 the shepherd renewed the search, and still on returning 

 disappointed to his cottage he found the dog had been 

 home, and then on his coming next for his usual allowance 

 of cake he resolved to follow him and find out the cause of 

 his strange procedure. The dog led the way to a cataract 

 at some distance from the spot where the child was lost. 

 The banks of the cataract almost joined the top, but 

 were separated by an abyss of immense depth. Down one 

 of these rugged and almost perpendicular descents the 

 dog began to make his way, and at last disappeared into a 

 cave, the mouth of which was almost level with the torrent. 

 The shepherd followed with difficulty ; but on entering the 

 cave he beheld his child eating with much satisfaction the 

 cake which the faithful dog had just brought him, who 

 was standing by eyeing his young charge with the utmost 

 complacence. It appears that the child had wandered to 



