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he　did　mostly）　of　his　own　antique　business；　the　thing　took　on　a　

colour　of　romance　and　curiosity　that　was　surprising。　　The　clans　of　

sheep　with　their　particular　territories　on　the　hill；　and　how；　in　

the　yearly　killings　and　purchases；　each　must　be　proportionally　

thinned　and　strengthened；　the　midnight　busyness　of　animals；　the　

signs　of　the　weather；　the　cares　of　the　snowy　season；　the　exquisite　

stupidity　of　sheep；　the　exquisite　cunning　of　dogs：　all　these　he　

could　present　so　humanly；　and　with　so　much　old　experience　and　

living　gusto；　that　weariness　was　excluded。　　And　in　the　midst　he　

would　suddenly　straighten　his　bowed　back；　the　stick　would　fly　

abroad　in　demonstration；　and　the　sharp　thunder　of　his　voice　roll　

out　a　long　itinerary　for　the　dogs；　so　that　you　saw　at　last　the　use　

of　that　great　wealth　of　names　for　every　knowe　and　howe　upon　the　

hillside；　and　the　dogs；　having　hearkened　with　lowered　tails　and　

raised　faces；　would　run　up　their　flags　again　to　the　masthead　and　

spread　themselves　upon　the　indicated　circuit。　　It　used　to　fill　me　

with　wonder　how　they　could　follow　and　retain　so　long　a　story。　　But　

John　denied　these　creatures　all　intelligence；　they　were　the　

constant　butt　of　his　passion　and　contempt；　it　was　just　possible　to　

work　with　the　like　of　them；　he　said；　…　not　more　than　possible。　　And　

then　he　would　expand　upon　the　subject　of　the　really　good　dogs　that　

he　had　known；　and　the　one　really　good　dog　that　he　had　himself　

possessed。　　He　had　been　offered　forty　pounds　for　it；　but　a　good　

collie　was　worth　more　than　that；　more　than　anything；　to　a　〃herd；〃　

he　did　the　herd's　work　for　him。　　〃As　for　the　like　of　them！〃　he　

would　cry；　and　scornfully　indicate　the　scouring　tails　of　his　

assistants。



Once　…　I　translate　John's　Lallan；　for　I　cannot　do　it　justice；　being　

born　BRITANNIS　IN　MONTIBUS；　indeed；　but　alas！　INERUDITO　SAECULO　…　

once；　in　the　days　of　his　good　dog；　he　had　bought　some　sheep　in　

Edinburgh；　and　on　the　way　out；　the　road　being　crowded；　two　were　

lost。　　This　was　a　reproach　to　John；　and　a　slur　upon　the　dog；　and　

both　were　alive　to　their　misfortune。　　Word　came；　after　some　days；　

that　a　farmer　about　Braid　had　found　a　pair　of　sheep；　and　thither　

went　John　and　the　dog　to　ask　for　restitution。　　But　the　farmer　was　a　

hard　man　and　stood　upon　his　rights。　　〃How　were　they　marked？〃　he　

asked；　and　since　John　had　bought　right　and　left　from　many　sellers　

and　had　no　notion　of　the　marks　…　〃Very　well；〃　said　the　farmer；　

〃then　it's　only　right　that　I　should　keep　them。〃　…　〃Well；〃　said　

John；　〃it's　a　fact　that　I　cannae　tell　the　sheep；　but　if　my　dog　can；　

will　ye　let　me　have　them？〃　　The　farmer　was　honest　as　well　as　hard；　

and　besides　I　daresay　he　had　little　fear　of　the　ordeal；　so　he　had　

all　the　sheep　upon　his　farm　into　one　large　park；　and　turned　John's　

dog　into　their　midst。　　That　hairy　man　of　business　knew　his　errand　

well；　he　knew　that　John　and　he　had　bought　two　sheep　and　（to　their　

shame）　lost　them　about　Boroughmuirhead；　he　knew　besides　（the　lord　

knows　how；　unless　by　listening）　that　they　were　come　to　Braid　for　

their　recovery；　and　without　pause　or　blunder　singled　out；　first　one　

and　then　another；　the　two　waifs。　　It　was　that　afternoon　the　forty　

pounds　were　offered　and　refused。　　And　the　shepherd　and　his　dog　…　

what　do　I　say？　the　true　shepherd　and　his　man　…　set　off　together　by　

Fairmilehead　in　jocund　humour；　and　〃smiled　to　ither〃　all　the　way　

home；　with　the　two　recovered　ones　before　them。　　So　far；　so　good；　

but　intelligence　may　be　abused。　　The　dog；　as　he　is　by　little　man's　

inferior　in　mind；　is　only　by　little　his　superior　in　virtue；　and　

John　had　another　collie　tale　of　quite　a　different　complexion。　　At　

the　foot　of　the　moss　behind　Kirk　Yetton　（Caer　Ketton；　wise　men　say）　

there　is　a　scrog　of　low　wood　and　a　pool　with　a　dam　for　washing　

sheep。　　John　was　one　day　lying　under　a　bush　in　the　scrog；　when　he　

was　aware　of　a　collie　on　the　far　hillside　skulking　down　through　the　

deepest　of　the　heather　with　obtrusive　stealth。　　He　knew　the　dog；　

knew　him　for　a　clever；　rising　practitioner　from　quite　a　distant　

farm；　one　whom　perhaps　he　had　coveted　as　he　saw　him　masterfully　

steering　flocks　to　market。　　But　what　did　the　practitioner　so　far　

from　home？　and　why　this　guilty　and　secret　manoeuvring　towards　the　

pool？　…　for　it　was　towards　the　pool　that　he　was　heading。　　John　lay　

the　closer　under　his　bush；　and　presently　saw　the　dog　come　forth　

upon　the　margin；　look　all　about　him　to　see　if　he　were　anywhere　

observed；　plunge　in　and　repeatedly　wash　himself　over　head　and　ears；　

and　then　（but　now　openly　and　with　tail　in　air）　strike　homeward　over　

the　hills。　　That　same　night　word　was　sent　his　master；　and　the　

rising　practitioner；　shaken　up　from　where　he　lay；　all　innocence；　

before　the　fire；　was　had　out　to　a　dykeside　and　promptly　shot；　for　

alas！　he　was　that　foulest　of　criminals　under　trust；　a　sheep…eater；　

and　it　was　from　the　maculation　of　sheep's　blood　that　he　had　come　so　

far　to　cleanse　himself　in　the　pool　behind　Kirk　Yetton。



A　trade　that　touches　nature；　one　that　lies　at　the　foundations　of　

life；　in　which　we　have　all　had　ancestors　employed；　so　that　on　a　

hint　of　it　ancestral　memories　revive；　lends　itself　to　literary　use；　

vocal　or　written。　　The　fortune　of　a　tale　lies　not　alone　in　the　

skill　of　him　that　writes；　but　as　much；　perhaps；　in　the　inherited　

experience　of　him　who　reads；　and　when　I　hear　with　a　particular　

thrill　of　things　that　I　have　never　done　or　seen；　it　is　one　of　that　

innumerable　army　of　my　ancestors　rejoicing　in　past　deeds。　　Thus　

novels　begin　to　touch　not　the　fine　DILETTANTI　but　the　gross　mass　of　

mankind；　when　they　leave　off　to　speak　of　parlours　and　shades　of　

manner　and　still…born　niceties　of　motive；　and　begin　to　deal　with　

fighting；　sailoring；　adventure；　death　or　childbirth；　and　thus　

ancient　outdoor　crafts　and　occupations；　whether　Mr。　Hardy　wields　

the　shepherd's　crook　or　Count　Tolstoi　swings　the　scythe；　lift　

romance　into　a　near　neighbourhood　with　epic。　　These　aged　things　

have　on　them　the　dew　of　man's　morning；　they　lie　near；　not　so　much　

to　us；　the　semi…artificial　flowerets；　as　to　the　trunk　and　

aboriginal　taproot　of　the　race。　　A　thousand　interests　spring　up　in　

the　process　of　the　ages；　and　a　thousand　perish；　that　is　now　an　

eccentricity　or　a　lost　art　which　was　once　the　fashion　of　an　empire；　

and　those　only　are　perennial　matters　that　rouse　us　to…day；　and　that　

roused　men　in　all　epochs　of　the　past。　　There　is　a　certain　critic；　

not　indeed　of　execution　but　of　matter；　whom　I　dare　be　known　to　set　

before　the　best：　a　certain　low…browed；　hairy　gentleman；　at　first　a　

percher　in　the　fork　of　trees；　next　（as　they　relate）　a　dweller　in　

caves；　and　whom　I　think　I　see　squatting　in　cave…mouths；　of　a　

pleasant　afternoon；　to　munch　his　berries　…　his　wife；　that　

accomplished　lady；　squatting　by　his　side：　his　name　I　never　heard；　

but　he　is　often　described　as　Probably　Arboreal；　which　may　serve　for　

recognition。　　Each　has　his　own　tree　of　ancestors；　but　at　the　top　of　

all　sits　Probably　Arboreal；　in　all　our　veins　there　run　some　minims　

of　his　old；　wild；　tree…top　blood；　our　civilised　nerves　still　tingle　

with　his　rude　terrors　and　pleasures；　and　to　that　which　would　have　

moved　our　common　ancestor；　all　must　obediently　thrill。



We　have　not　so　far　to　climb　to　come　to　shepherds；　and　it　may　be　I　

had　one　for　an　ascendant　who　has　largely　moulded　me。　　But　yet　I　

think　I　owe　my　taste　for　that　hillside　business　rather　to　the　art　

and　interest　of　John　Todd。　　He　it　was　that　made　it　live　for　me；　as　

the　artist　can　make　all　things　live。　　It　was　through　him　the　simple　

strategy　of　massing　sheep　upon　a　snowy　evening；　with　its　attendant　

scampering　of　earnest；　shaggy　aides…de…champ；　was　an　affair　that　I　

never　wearied　of　seeing；　and　that　I　never　weary　of　recalling　to　

mind：　the　shadow　of　the　night　darkening　on　the　hills；　inscrutable　

black　blots　of　snow　shower　moving　here　and　there　like　night　already　

come；　huddles　of　yellow　sheep　and　dartings　of　black　dogs　upon　the　

snow；　a　bitter　air　that　took　you　by　the　throat；　unearthly　harpings　

of　the　wind　along　the　moors；　and　for　centre　piece　to　all　these　

features　and　influences；　John　winding　up　the　brae；　keeping　his　

captain's　eye　upon　all　sides；　and　breaking；　ever　and　again；　into　a　

spasm　of　bellowing　that　seemed　to　make　the　evening　bleaker。　　It　is　

thus　that　I　still　see　him　in　my　mind's　eye；　perched　on　a　hump　of　

the　declivity　not　far　from　Halkerside；　his　staff　in　airy　flourish；　

his　great　voice　taking　hold　upon　the　hills　and　echoing　terror　to　

the　lowlands；　I；　meanwhile；　standing　somewhat　back；　until　the　fit　

should　be　over；　and；　with　a　pinch　of　snuff；　my　friend　relapse　into　

his　easy；　even　conversation。









CHAPTER　VII。　THE　MANSE





I　HAVE　named；　among　many　rivers　that　make　music　in　my　memory；　that　

dirty　Water　of　Leith。　　Often　and　often　I　desire　to　look　upon　it　

again；　and　the　choice　of　a　point　of　view　is　easy　to　me。　　It　should　

be　at