Seff. j5, 1900.] 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
lis 
going more tliau the stated distance in any direction. As 
-soon as the dog has taken the flock through the various 
openings and around the fiags and up to the pen, the 
shepherd ma}' go to tlie assistance of his animal and help 
him pen the sheep. 
The crowd assembles early on thfc day of the trial, and 
an air of expectancy is rife. The hum of conversation 
caases for a moment as the first number is posted, a burst 
of applause as the first dog goes on the field, and the 
contest commences. 
-.A.n old grizzled shepherd advances to the post and ad- 
justs the cord on his arm, receives his instructions from 
the judges and finallj' the word to commence. Three 
sheep are turned into the field away up on the hill above, 
at such a distance that one can scarcely make them out. 
The shepherd raises his staff and points in their direction 
and says quietly, "Hie to 'em, Lassie," and off the beau- 
tiful collie bounds as straight as an arrow, but turning 
every hundred yards or so to see that the direction first 
indicated has not been changed. On she goes up the 
hill, until she encounters the high wall that separates the 
adjoining field, in which the sheep have been loosed; here 
she hesitates and agam looks back for instructions. 
"Gang over !" shouts the shepherd, with a wave of his 
staff, indicating his wish, and over goes Lassie, and 
another command of "Hie away!" sends her on up the 
hill, where she presently finds the sheep, the first point 
in the competition. 
"Gang away back!" comes the next order, and around 
to the rear of the sheep races the dog. The animal 
works noiselessly, as the worst trait that a sheep dog 
can have is that of barking at a flock. They are never 
supposed to alarm the sheep unless it is necessary to do so 
to move some stubborn member of tbe flock. 
Now comes the task of sending them along tlie crest 
of the hill to a flag high on the slope, around that and 
then directly through an opening in the wall. "Coom in, 
Lass!" brings the dog along the hill in the direction of 
the first flag, with tbe little flock scampering before her. 
Not always docs the master speak to the collie, but very 
often a shrill whistle attracts her attention, and the 
staff indicates the desired direction. Down the hill 
gallop the sheep, headed far below the flag, and as it is 
required that they go above it, a call of "Coom farther 
in!" brings in the dog, and sends out the little flock just' 
around the flag. 
"Get back!" shouts the shepherd. Away bounds the 
faithful dog to the rear. 
"Get farther back!" sends her even more around imtil 
the_ sheep are turned straight in to the wall through 
which they must go. vMong this wall they run at full 
• .speed, and so fast that they will surely pass the opening, 
so the dog is bidden to "Coom away 'round !" and around 
she goes in a great detour, heading off the flock right at 
the gate. They hesitate and the shepherd gives a shrill 
whistle and the dog stands fast with her eyes fastened on 
the sheep. They look stupidly about for "a moment and 
then one of them looks toward the opening, through which 
Ihey .are to go. "Coom in steady, Lass !" calls the master. 
Slowly and carefully creeps the dog. The sheep turn and 
walk through the opening as naturally as though of, .their 
own accord. This bit of clever work on the part of 
the dog brings forth a cheer from the crowd, and as half 
of the trial is successfully done, the excitement runs 
high. 
All this time the sheep have been kept on a keen 
jump with the dog close at their heels, but the pursuit 
has been so careful and so steady that the sheep are not 
in the least startled or worried, and if they are given n 
moment's rest they immediately commence to nibble at 
the grass. 
The third point has been scored, and only three minutes 
and a half have been used out of the short ten minutes 
allowed to complete the task, but the real work is yet to 
come. The old shepherd will tell you that "any fool dog" 
will bring a flock to you, but that it takes a real sheep 
dog to take them away with intelligence. 
The master works the dog well to the rear of the 
sheep, and then bids her to "Take 'em away," and away 
they go straight for the final opening, which is really an 
imaginary gate between two short sections of fence, and 
consequently much harder than if it was really an opening 
in a fence, as it means nothing to the sheep or to the dog 
lo go between these bars. The dog does not under- 
stand what is wanted, while when they are put at a 
gate in a fence the dog knows perfectly what is wanted 
after a few conmiands have been given, and then he will 
work of his own accord, with an intelligence that is sur- 
prising. But with wonderful obedience the dog follows 
the direction indicated by the master's staff and the words 
of command. If the sheep become frightened by a sudden 
rush, a sharp whistle will bring the dog lo the ground 
long enough for the floek to become quiet. After a bit of 
clever work the dog puts the flock through, and as they 
go scampering off to the far corner of the field, the 
shepherd calls for Lassie to "Git far back!" and to 
"Fetch 'em up!" and in they come with a scurry and a 
rush toward the pen, which is the final test. Then 
cornmences an animated game of "pigs in the clover," for 
it is exactly like that exasperating puzzle that was the 
Page a couple of years ago. 
At this stage of the trial the shepherd is allowed to 
leave his position by the stake, and is permitted to 
assist his -dog in penning the flock. The opening to the 
pen is just wide enough to allow one sheep to enter at 
one time, and they show a decided disinclination to go 
into tlie inclosure. They break and run around it, and in 
an instant, without any word of command, the dog is 
around to head them off and bring them back. They face 
the dog and stamp their forefeet in a challenging man- 
ner, when they are cornered, as though they were about 
to attack her. Easily the master and the dog work up on 
the flock in perfect unison, and in such a careful man- 
ner that the sheep do not become startled. 
"Easy a bit, Lassie," whispers the shepherd, and Lassie 
steps forward a couple of feet. 
"Steady a bit," and she stops. 
If the sheep show an inclination to bolt, tfie dog is- 
cautioned to "Lie down !" and instantly she drops to the 
ground and watches the sheep, unless they again attempt 
to bolt. One of the sheep turns his head and looks into 
the pen for a moment, and instantly the master calls 
softly. "Crawl up. Lassie," and she crawls along the 
ground on her belly, never rising to her feet until the first 
sheep has his head well inle the pen. Where one goes 
the rest will follow, so with a wave of his staff the 
shepherd calls .sharply, "At 'cm. Lassie!" and the dog 
rises quickly and lakes a couple of steps forward, and 
in go the little flock amid the cheers of an appreciative 
crowd. 
That is the way of a well-run trial when every point is 
scored, but not all of the dogs are so successful, and 
many a shepherd goes hdme at night with a heavy 
heart, full of disappointmeint because his dog did not do 
his best or because of an unusually wild sheep that bolts 
the flock in such a manner that no dog could keep it in. 
Some of the dogs that work to perfection with a (lock 
on their own hills will do nothing at a trial, and. on 
the contrary, it is said that dogs are being trained for 
field work simply for the prizes that would do nothing in 
the field, but fortunately this practice, that only appeared 
this year, has been regulated by strict rules, preventing 
any but regular sheep dogs from competing. 
During the morning of the trials there are two courses 
on which to rmi the dogs, so that the entire competition 
may be finished in a day — the Ty'ii-y-Celyn side and the 
Viv^od side, and the winners of the two morning trials are 
brought together in the afternoon. It is curious to note 
the effect that the presence of the crowd has on both 
the dog and master in some cases. The Ty'n-y-Celyn is 
some distance across a little vale, and consequently very 
few of the spectatofs went over, unless there was some 
dog working that they wished particularly to sec. 
One little brown animal came to the trials with a won- 
derful reputation as a great sheep dog, and in the morn- 
ing, on the far side, he carried his flock over the course 
in a remarkably short time, and it looked as though he 
was a very probable winner, and so when he was called 
in the afternoon the crowd was full of expectancy. The 
shepherd was a Welshman, and did not know a word of 
English, but received his instructions from the judges in 
his own tongue, and then faced the trial. The sheep 
were released on the hill above, and the little dog was 
told to find them, the shepherd indicating the direction 
with his staff, or rather' attempting to do so, for he was 
not able to convey his wishes to the dog. It was a simple 
case of "stage fright," for the mountain shepherd was 
completely bewildered by the crowd of people that was 
looking on, and the dog suffered in conseqitencc, Up and 
down the little dog ran, and louder and louder shouted 
and whistled the shepherd. The crowd became amused, 
and their amusement only made matters worse for the 
Welshman. Finally, after a vain attempt for ten minutes, 
lime was called, and another dog was sent to bring in the 
sheep that were camly grazing on the far hillside, and the 
shepherd called away his little dog and was soon lost in 
the crowd, downcast and heart-broken at his failure. 
Even the dog seemed to share the chagrin of his master, 
for he hung his head and slunk away as though he realized 
his fault, and yet this same dog had won his match iji 
the morning in a most wonderful manner, but the failure 
later in the day will be the regret of the life of this simple 
shepherd. ' ■ • • 
Dog after dog comes up to try his skill, and one after 
another they meet with more or less success, but none 
can lower the time that Lassie has made, and she is 
awarded the coveted cup and the Cambrian Stake. The 
winning of an event like this one becomes tradition in the 
families of these men of the mountains, and for years 
to come the children and tb^^ir children will tell of how 
Lassie won the cup. 
Then follow the trial for two dogs working together 
and in this six sheep are used instead of three, half of 
the number being from one flock and half from 
another. The first part of the trial is similar to the one 
with one dog. They are to be carried around the flag 
on the hillside in the same manner, to be brought through 
the gap in the wall and then through the opening be- 
tween the two bars. All of this is infinitely easier with 
the assistance of another dog, and the marvelous manner 
in which they work is wonderful to watch. Back and 
forth they run behind the little flock, never allowing them 
10 swerve to either side, each dog obeying the commands 
that tlie master directs to him. Should the sheep bolt out 
of the course, the master would call, "Laddie, coom 
away 'round!" "Lady, get farther back!" and as each 
dog would mind the respective order they would bring the 
flock back into the course. As they go through a gate, a 
command of, "Laddie, watch 'em!" would bring Ljiddie 
to the side of the gate to prevent the sheep from 
going past the opening, while Lady would Avork back 
and forth to send them through. If the dog did not 
m.ind instantly, the master would call sharply, "Lady, 
did'st thoti hear? Get farther back!" They work in 
perfect unison, minding every gesture, whistle or word 
of command, and yet at times they are fully a quarter of a 
mile away. 
When the last gate is passed, instead of taking the six 
sheep to the pen, the contestant must separate three 
specially marked ones and pen them with one dog. leaving 
the other dog to watch the remaining three and prevent 
their coming in with the others again. 
Two of the most interesting dogs that worked at 
Llangollen this year were Old Pink and Gem, the former 
being given the commands entirely by whistles, while 
Gem received verbal directions. Different inflections of 
the whistle meant different orders to the dog. A trill 
would send him far away; one similar to the ordinary 
manner of calling a dog would bring him in. A rising 
note would send him to the right and a falling one to the 
left in just the same manner that an old cavalry horse 
obej'S the trumpet calls. 
Another queer pair were Handy and Sam, run hy a 
shepherd from Llandderfel. Sam could only understand 
Welsh, while all_ of the commands to Handy were given 
in English, and it was most amusing to hear the master 
as he handled the dogs in the trial. 
When his name was called, he led his faithful dogs to 
the starting point, and as the word was given to com- 
mence, he spoke quietly to them. "Get far away, 'Andy " 
he commanded to one, "Cer draw reit pell, Sam," and 
away scurried both dogs. 
"Get farther back, 'Andy," "Symer yn draf deg, Sam" 
(Take time) , find instantly thty would obey the respective 
words of warning. At times the shepherd would merely 
call the command without using the dog's name, and the 
effect was quite the same, as the one had no knowledge 
of the language spoken to the other. 
"Come 'round, 'Andy." 
"Dal draw, Sam" (Keep away). 
Not a little fun is created by this use of two languages 
so totally different, and the crowd laughs heartily at 
any new command, but at the same time they are most- 
appreciative of the excellent work that is being done. 
The two animals are ahnost human in the manner in 
which they receive and obey the will of their master; 
every word is heeded instantly and every direction indi- 
cated with the staff is obeyed, always looking back 
for new directions. 
"Tyd yma atai i!" (Come here to me!) calls the 
shepherd as the little Welsh dog goes a little too far 
around the flock. 
As they near an opening in a fence, the man's voice 
drops into a coaxing key, as he cautions careful work 
from the dogs, lest they flurry their charges and cause 
them to bolt at the critical moment. 
"Gorf edd lazvr!" (Lie down !) * 
"Steady a wee bit, 'Andy." 
This caution has had its effect, for through they go 
and on to the next part of the test. 
During the trials the qther shepherds sit about with their 
dogs, awaiting their turn, and watch with keen interest 
the success or lack of success of their rivals. Each break 
or sudden turn of the sheep is followed by hundreds of 
eyes, and each sharp recovery of the flock by the dogs 
is hailed with breathless applause. These simple country 
folk do not hesitate to give vent to their feelings, no 
matter whether it is to applaud some clever bit of work 
of one of their friends' dogs, or to give a shout of 
satisfaction at some mistake or bad luck of a rival. The 
etiquette of applause is that a man may express whatever 
his feelings may happen to be, and even though it is 
directed at a failure, no offense is meant and none is 
given. These men are here for a day's good sport, and 
to try the skill of their dogs, and there is none of the 
spirit of underhand rivalry that so often creeps into 
sport where money is at stake. These shepherds have' 
their strong convictions as to the relative merits of the 
dogs, and they defend their views almost to the point of 
blo\ys, but for all that, they bear no ill will. 
" 'E's a gran' worker, that 'Andy, but 'e' nay cen Avin." 
remarks an old shepherd, without taking his eyes from' 
the field. 
"Yon's tha' style, ta bettern Owd Pink herself." 
"Na, they'll lose at the pen," 
"Steady, mon, time's close," breathlessly whispers 
one, as though the dog could hear and understand. 
The sheep are stubborn, although finally one turns his 
nose into the pen. A cheer goes up from the crowd. 
"He's won !" they cry. 
So it would seem for an instant, but suddenly a little' 
wether breaks, just as victory is within grasp, and whirls' 
off down the green hill. Quick as a flash the faithful 
Handy is around and is bringing the frightened sheep' 
back to the others, but the flight of this one has startled* 
the other two, and they huddle to the side of the pen 
away from the opening, watched by the other dog. It 
will take but a minute to bring them back again, but it is 
too late. The whistle blows, time is up and the cup is 
lost— not from any fault o? the dog nor of the master, 
but because of the sheep. There is a great difference in 
the.se little woolr animals that are turned out at the 
trials, and a great deal of the success of the shepherd 
depends on the character of the sheep that he happens to 
draw. Some will run together, crowding their heads, 
close to each other and never bolting, thus making it 
very easy for the dog to handle them. Others will bolt 
the moment they are loosed on the hill, all going in 
different directions. In a case of this sort no dog living 
could bring them together in the short ten minutes 
allowed, but that is the fortune of the game, as no 
allowance is made by the judges in such a case. 
No matter what the disappointment may be, these coun- 
try folk never show any sign of anger or of displeasure. 
One old Welshman faced the trial ground with a dog, 
of great reputation— one that had worked in the High- 
lands with the flocks for scA^en years or more, and Avas 
known to be able to handle a flock with wonderful in- 
telligence. 
The sheep were turned out on the hill, and the dog 
followed the master's bidding, as indicated by his stafl". 
and in less than a minute had discovered the slieep. With 
the same Avonderful instinct, he brought them along the 
hill, around the flag and through the first gate. 
The croAvd cheered every movement of the beautiiul 
collie, and shouts of approval greeted each success. A 
continuance of such work Avould mean certain posses- 
sion of the cup. 
" ' E wins easy!" a shepherd boy shouts. 
"Yon's a true Wales dorg," says another looker-on. 
But just as the last of the trial Avas to come at the 
pen, one of the flock, a young ram, bolted and made., 
directly for the crowd. A little stream in the castle 
park separated the trial ground from the spectators, and 
into this stream plunged the frightened ram. And there 
he stayed. After him came the dog, but no power could 
move that stupid bolter. The dog swam into deep Avater 
oil the far side of the sheep, but to no purpose. The 
sheep was tired and frightened, and, in fact, he had 
con ipletely_ lost his senses, and while the dog atJtempted 
to move him, the fcAV minutes allotted for the test were 
rapidly slipping aAvay. The crowd "shooed" and threw 
sticks at the ram, but to no avail. 
"He's lost," mournfully says some admirer of the dog. 
"Time's up !" calls the judge, and the shepherd whistles 
to his dog and bids him to "Coom in." The dog comes 
up to the master, panting from his exertions, but with his 
ears drooping in a downcast expression, showing only 
too keenly that he knew that he had made a failure, and 
it seemed he must realize that he had lost the cup. 
There was no anger shown by the shepherd, only 
disappointment, and as he stooped to snap the chain on 
the collar, he said gently, "Ta did weel, ma lad ; twa na 
fault o' thine. Yon ram be crazy." 
Another young dog was not so enthusiastic, for right 
the critical moment, after a few moments' \vs,xd nin, h^ 
