I am sorry that I do not know the name of a certain shepherd's dog, but
which deserves to be recorded in letters of gold.
His master, who had charge of a flock which fed among the Grampian
Hills, set out from home one day accompanied by his little boy, scarcely
more than four years old. The children of Scottish shepherds begin
learning their future duties at an early age. The day, bright at first,
passed on, when a thick mist began to rise, shrouding the surrounding
country. The shepherd, seeing this, hurried onward to collect his
scattered flock, calling his dog to his assistance, and leaving his
little boy at a spot where he believed that he should easily find him
again. The fog grew thicker and thicker; and so far had the flock
rambled, that some time passed before they could be collected together.
On his return to look for his child, the darkness had increased so much
that he could not discover him. The anxious father wandered on, calling
on his child--but no answer came; his dog, too, had disappeared. He had
himself lost his way. At length the moon rose, when he discovered that
he was not far from his own cottage. He hastened towards it, hoping
that the child had reached it before him; but the little boy had not
appeared, nor had the dog been seen. The agony of the parents can be
better imagined than described. No torches were to be procured, and the
shepherd had to wait till daylight ere he could set out with a companion
or two to assist him in his search. All day he searched in vain. On
his return, sick at heart, at nightfall, he heard that his dog had
appeared during the day, received his accustomed meal of a bannock, and
then scampered off at full speed across the moor, being out of sight
before any one could follow him.
All night long the father waited, expecting the dog to return; but the
animal not appearing, he again, as soon as it was daylight, set off on
his search. During his absence, the dog hurried up to the cottage, as
on the previous day, and went off again immediately he had received his
bannock.
At last, after this had occurred on two more successive days, the
shepherd resolved to remain at home till his dog should appear, and then
to follow him.
The sagacious animal appearing as before, at once understood his
master's purpose, and instead of scampering off at full speed, kept in
sight as he led the way across the moor. It was then seen that he held
in his mouth the larger portion of the cake which had been given him.
The dog conducted the shepherd to a cataract which fell roaring and
foaming amid rocks into a ravine far down below. Descending an almost
perpendicular cliff, the dog entered a cavern, close in front of which
the seething torrent passed. The shepherd with great difficulty made
his way to it, when, as he reached the entrance, he saw his child,
unhurt, seated on the ground eating the cake brought by the dog, who
stood watching his young charge thus occupied, with a proud
consciousness of the important duty he had undertaken.
The father, embracing his child, carried him up the steep ascent, down
which it appeared he had scrambled in the dark, happily reaching the
cave. This he had been afraid to quit on account of the torrent; and
here the dog by his scent had traced him, remaining with him night and
day, till, conscious that food was as necessary for the child as for
himself, he had gone home to procure him some of his own allowance.
Thus the faithful animal had, by a wonderful exercise of his reasoning
power, preserved the child's life.