fully realise the indispensable character of the services rendered by the dog to pastoral man in an unsettled country such as all Europe was at no very remote period when wolves abounded, and as Australia now is. In the back bush of that great southern island, towards the very centre of which the white man's flocks and herds are now spreading, one feels how difficult it would be to maintain one's position among hordes of savages and dingoes but for the watchful care of the dog.

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To those who are acquainted only with the long established and generally fenced in runs of the Darling Downs-for instance, about Dalby and Warwick-it may seem that I exaggerate the importance of our canine friend as a guardian of sheep in some of the incidents I shall have to describe. But this importance could be brought home very forcibly to anyone who might be put in charge of a flock at a hut ten miles or so from the head station and any other dwelling, surrounded by dense forest, with patches of "scrub" interspersed, and the earth covered with grass as high as the back of a sheep.

So

It fell to my lot to be told off to take a flock at a hut situated in circumstances scarcely calculated to render the prospect inviting. The former shepherd at that hut had been murdered by the blacks not long before, and a large number of his sheep driven off by them or dispersed in the bush, where the dingoes, having had a fine time among such easy victims, were more than ever disposed to consider sheep their lawful prey. Once a week the ration carrier would come round with my supply of 121b. of salt beef, 81b. of flour, 4lb. of tea, and 2lb. of sugar; but, owing to the fact that he always came while I was away with the sheep, I did not enjoy the good fortune of seeing a white face for a month. It is the shepherd's duty, after a hasty meal, to let his flocks out of the pens as early as possible in the morning, and follow them into the bush, guiding them by means of his dogs in the direction he wishes them to take, so as to avoid feeding over the same ground on two consecutive days. This is by no means the easy task those may imagine who

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at home at ease," and read flowery descriptions of Arcadian life in the boundless forests of the Australian bush, and so forth. A flock of more than a thousand strong wethers will walk twelve miles out and back in the course of a day, and spread over an area of half a square mile in no time, if not judiciously kept together, without, however, that constant "6 dogging," which worries them out of condition, and affects the quality of the fleeces, for these sheep are not the tame, tractable creatures to be met with on our open meadows. The sudden appearance of a native or a dingo may create a panic and a stampede, and then they will be out of sight in half a minute, and gallop wildly for a mile if not rounded up by the dogs. The heavily timbered country and long coarse grass give shelter to the enemy, whether humane or canine, and as the sweet grass on which alone the sheep feed grows in isolated tufts, they are always on the run to pick up enough to fill themselves.

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Constant attention, then, is necessary. Where the ground is broken or covered with "grass trees" the shepherd may be unable to see more than a score of his whole flock at any moment. At such times a good dog will jog off, even unasked, walk round the flock, and come back after his inspection with a satisfied air, expressive of consciousness of having done his duty, and shown that incompetent person, his master, how to look after sheep. Towards midday, as the heat becomes intense, they lie down or "camp," to doze away an hour and chew the cud. That is the grand opportunity for the enemy. Stealing up to the flock, a dingo or a black fellow may rush in among them, separate a score or so from the rest, and throw the whole flock into a state of wild confusion. Should this happen it is almost impossible for the shepherd unassisted to bring them together. It is the dog's business, however, while they are camping, to take an occasional look round and report to the shepherd. In the event of his perceiving anything to excite his suspicions, he barks, and attracts the man to the spot. There is always more than an “off

chance" of being made the target of a black's spear from behind a tree, and the keenest eye will in vain endeavour to catch sight of the native as he glides from tree to tree or crawls through the grass. But the preternatural sharpness of the dog's senses of hearing and smell will often supply the warning which puts the shepherd on his guard, gives him time to level his gun in the direction of the approaching danger, and show the enemy that retreat is the safest course for the present. When travelling with sheep, and camping them out in the bush on dark nights, the dingoes prowling round would certainly succeed in their frequent attempts to rush the flock, were it not for the vigilant ear of the shepherd's dog, quick to detect those stealthy movements and make a dash at the marauder, who never waits to try conclusions with his civilised relation, unless he gets fairly "bailed up" by a couple of sheepdogs.

For the first week after my arrival at the hut, where the poor old man had paid the penalty of his incautiousness with his life, I exercised the most minute precautions against surprise; sleeping hardly an hour at a time, sending the dog round the sheep yard half a dozen times during the night, and never letting the gun out of my hand. Many were the indications that I was watched unceasingly, both at night and when out with the sheep, for that opportunity which the patient savage always seeks of striking a certain blow without risking a charge of swan shot from that terrible weapon carried on the white man's arm.

It is in circumstances such as these that one learns how valuable are the much more acute perceptions of the dog in drawing attention to indications of the presence of the human enemy which he can distinguish from the scent or sound of animals. It is interesting to mark his anxious demeanour throughout the day, and observe his abiding consciousness of responsibility until the sheep are safely housed in the pens just before sundown, and his master sets to work to. boil the "billy "of tea, and prepare

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the evening meal. Then, for a little while, he is off duty. With what interest he contemplates the roasting over a bright fire outside the hut of that wallaby which his master shot in the afternoon as they were coming home. How solemnly he watches the mysterious movements of that incomprehensible creature, Man, busy with pots and kettles over the fire, for no purpose apparent to his simple mind, which, nevertheless, is strong in faith that out of all this will come a savoury stew such as his soul loveth. At these times we feel the reality of the companionship of the dog. The frugal meal, shared with him equitably to the very last tit-bit, becomes a banquet; and we only regret that he cannot partake with us in the enjoyment of that crowning luxury-the after-dinner pipe of Cavendish.

Some of those who read these chapters may have decided to try sheep farming in Australia. If they do, I would advise them to secure a good puppy on arrival at the station where they intend taking up their quarters, and make him their constant companion and friend. The breed does not much matter, so long as it is not kangaroo hound: but of course something with colley or retriever in it-my best dog, and the cleverest I ever had at the work, was а black retriever-should be preferred. He must be strong and courageous, for if he collars a dingo in the course of his business he must be able to master him, the bite of these brutes being most severe. The weight, then, should not be less than 65lb. Many squatters will not allow the use of dogs with sheep, because there is too great a tendency on the part of lazy and incompetent shepherds to be always "dogging" the flock, and keeping them in a state of nervous excitement, most prejudicial to their health, and obviously dangerous to gravid ewes. I have met with shepherds, too, who affect to despise the services of a dog; but these have rarely been men I would employ from choice. People who are deficient in the intelligence necessary to train a sheepdog, and use him with judgment, are not

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likely to exhibit much capacity for any kind of work. The Chinese shepherds do without dogs; at least, I never saw one in their possession. This may be owing to their ignorance of the uses of an animal which "John," when at home, regards only with a view to soup and cutlets. The best of the Celestials, however, take infinite pains with a flock, and, as they work for much lower wages than Europeans, they are particularly anxious to avoid being mulcted in the sum of £1 for every fleece that cannot be shown to the superintendent when he counts their sheep.

In the heavily-timbered districts of the back bush, where natives and dingoes are numerous, even a moderately good dog is of the utmost service. Had the shepherd, whose place I took, been accompanied by the commonest cur, no doubt he would have been warned of the approach of the savage who Mine would have speared him at the door of his own hut. been a like fate, I can pretty confidently assert, in the absence of a companion whose organisation seems to be such that he never sleeps deeply enough to suspend the sense of hearing, or even of smell.

The shepherd's hut is placed about fifty yards from the sheepfold, or near enough for him to hear any disturbance among them at night. The inclosure is made of strong stakes driven into the earth at intervals of 12ft., braced together with stout poles, and made dingo-proof by numerous smaller stakes, with boughs interlaced, and banked up with earth. This is solid enough to resist the rush and crowding of the sheep should they be alarmed at night by a prowling dingo or native, for, in the event of their breaking out, nothing would prevent them from dispersing themselves in the bush. For some reason the dingo is reluctant to jump into the inclosure, though three or four of them will nose round it for the hour together, endeavouring to find an opening. Notwithstanding the temptation of the reeking smell of mutton within, they, perhaps, fear to jump into a place from which they may not be able to