Watson's Book of Reading. [Another]

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1864 Excerpt: ...having got beyond them, he then rushes barking from flank to flank of the flock, and brings them all up in close arrayto the desired spot. When, too, the shepherd wishes to catch a particular sheep out of the flock, I have seen him point it out to the dog, who would instantly distinguish it from the rest, and follow it up till caught. I have been with a shepherd when he has ordered his dog to drive a part of the flock home, --the man remaining with me on the hill. On our return we always found that the dog had either given up his charge to the shepherd's wife, or had driven the sheep without assistance into the fold, himself lying down at the narrow entrance to keep them from getting out till his master came home. At other times I hive seen a dog keeping watch on the hill over a flock of sheep, allowing them to feed all day, but always keeping sight of them, and bringing them home at a proper hour in the evening. The sheep-dog often watches his master's crop of oats or potatoes, keeping off all intruders in the shape of sheep, cattle, horses, or thieves. A shepherd once, to prove the quickness of his dog, who was lying before the fire in the house where we were talking, said to me in the middle of a sentence about something else, I'm thinking, Sir, the cow is in the potatoes. Though he said these words in a quiet tone of voice, the dog, who seemed to be asleep, instantly jumped up and leaping through the open window, scrambled up the turf roof of the house, from which he could see the potatoe-field. Not seeing the cow there, he ran and looked into the cow-house 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 ...