SHEEPDOG’S LONG VIGIL

Evening Star, Issue 18144, 7 December 1922, Page 7

SHEEPDOG’S LONG VIGIL

■THE-UNWRITTEN LAW OBEYED. Nigger ia just a black’ barb, and ho lives in -the Mcgalong Valley, in the Dine Mountains (savs the Sydney ‘ Sim ’). A few days before the recent cloudburst, which transformed every creek in the valley into a madly-rushing torrent, Nigger accompanied his master, Harry Brower, and another stockman in a search after cattle in the ranges. They took with them two packhorses. A couple of davs after the start out llio -rain fell, and did not cease for three days-and the best part of the fourth. They had crossed the Cox River, but the min bad swelled it so that, it had become impassable. In swimming one of the creeks they had to abandon the packhorses, and Nigger also was unable to cross. Eventually the men were rescued by a, search party. ft was fully three weeks before an effort could bo made to recover the packhorses. As for Nigger, Brewer had made up his mind that his dog had gone, probably carried away trying (o swim the river.. At last they came to a, spot a. score of miles from anywhere, and found not only the horses but, (ho dog. For three, weeks Nigger had stood watch over the horses. Tnveatigatiou showed That if he had liked Nigger could easily have swum the lessened river and creek a, couple of weeks before : but he obeyed the unwritten law that a, cattle dog must stand l to his job.