A COLLIE HELPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21498, 23 May 1933, Page 14

A COLLIE HELPS

By H. K. COTTER

Amy Brent took from her bag a Email mirror and under cover of a book made that brief survey, which is so essential to the peace of mind of her sex, and particularly so to those of her age. Amy was fortunate in hei complexion, possessing those rosy cheeks and that clear skin which scorn the art of make-up. Patting her naturally wavy, auburn, bobbed hair hvto place, she decided she would do. _ Ihis inspection was made with a pair of capable brown eves which sparkled joyously. Looking from her carriage window in the Christchurch-Greymouth express, she could now seo a stretch of farming land which faded off under the thickly wooded hills. Somewhere out there was her destination. "When the express pulled up Amy found she was the only passenger to alight. Leaving her luggage in the tiny station-shed, she crossed the rails and stepped out. The road from the station was on a considerable elevation, and Amy could see the homesteads scattered away into the distanco. Where the road met the lower land a man and his dog were working some sheep. Amy decided to ask him to direct her on her way. As she drew near the man moved further into the paddock. The collie had the sheep against the fence

Amy thought to speak to the dog and so have an excuse for calling to the man. Whistling to the dog, she encouraged it to> leave the sheep and come to her. While it came up she kept her eyes on tho man. When ho saw his dog leave tho sheep ho placed his hands on his hips and looked, as it seemed to Amy, quite astonished. When she patted tho collio the man called out angrily and came striding over. " What d'you mean by patting my dog?" ho exclaimed angrily. " Surely there is no harm in patting it?" " Perhaps nob 0110 of your lap poodles. But it is a with a working dog—especially a half trained one," he stated gruffly. " I didn't understand," Amy at last said.

" Of course not." Ho spoke a trifle sarcastically. " How would you like me to interfere with any one of your children —if you had any?" "I certainly shouldn't care for you to interfere with any of iny seventeen children," she returned smartly. " I see, you're a teacher of something or other?" ho took her up quickly. " Then you should know better." " If they're like children, then I do understand." she smiled. " Then you had better undo the harm you've done," ho ordered. " Call it up to you and then belt it with a rock." " I certainly won't." " Don't worry. You needn't hit it, he explained. "Just call it up and then shy at that post." Amy picked up a good sized stone, and calling the dog she threw the st<?ne at the post. But she held on to it too long and her hand swung around and the rock, being propelled in quite a different direction from the post, struck the man on the forehead. "Confound it!" he bellowed. lou did that." " Y'yes. Did it hurt? I'm really sorry." The words seemed inane to '""Sorry? You look it," he growled. Giggling there like a school girl." " I'm not!" She stamped her foot angrily. Then, seeing the humorous side of "the accid'ent, she laughed aloud. He muttered something about the sense of a rabbit and before Amy could reply he was across the fence and into the paddock. . " Animal," she said. Then, without asking her way, she continued along the road until she came to the first homestead, which happened to be her aunt's place. Mrs. Soutar ran down the path and embraced her niece. "Amy!" she exclaimed. Why didn't you write? We'd have met you.' " Thought I'd just pop in," the girl "™" We'll, well, Amy," called Tom Soutar, "you're lookin' grand. You have all the young fellows about heio a-runnin' " , ~ , " I've had one running already, sue laughed. . " What!" came the double cry- . Amv told them about the man with the dog. Soutar slapped bis thigh and roared with laughter. Mrs. _ Soutar laughed, but was a little anxious tor the welfare of tho man. "O-oli!" Soutar held his sides. <• That'll be Neil Campbell. If you d been a man he'd V killed you Ha! ha! ha! Why, he thinks more of that dog' than himself. Irainm it for the show he is. An' you called it off the sheep and then hit .Campbell on the head with a rock." Soutar laughed h °La V tcr. l Soutar' told Amy that Campbell would most likely come to tell of the two outrages he had suffeSure enough Neil Campbell arrived. As Soutar was about to go to tho dooi Amy halted him. ~ , " I don't want to meet him, she appealed. " He does not know that 1 im licrc* so don t "tell Jnro. "Hallo! hallo! Been trying to gore a bull?" asked Soutar when Campbell entered tho room. Campbell looked just a trifle abashed, but he laughed and said A sueet young lady did tins. Bounced a lock What!" exclaimed Soutar in well simulated surprise. Mrs Soutar with difficulty restrained her " A young lady? Who is she. '"''Ttavo no idea. Must have come off tho train." "What did she look like. " Well, now—let's see. A golden girl. Pretty as a magazine cover. Campbell tried to do Amy , " Why did sho hit you? inquued Mrs. Soutar. , ~ " I don't know," answered CampbC"*Ha! ha! ha!" laughed Soutar, "Tell us about it?" Noil Campbell soon gave his version of his meeting with Amy- Ho again became annoyed about his dog. " It's too friendly as it is, without everyone patting it and calling i iom tho " sheep," ho exclaimed. 1 hat 11 put it back in its training. " She hit me on purpose, lie maintained after a pause, " for she laughed when sho did it." "" That's not true," cried Amy, appearing at tho door. " I didn't want to meet you, but to say I purposely hit vou is too much." "Then why did you laugh? demanded Neil after ho recovered from his surprise at seeing Amy. _ " Because I saw tho funny side of it. " I couldn't see anything, to laugh at," stated Neil. " But then you couldn't see yourself, smiled Amy. Campbell looked reproachingly at Soutar when ho was introduced to Amy, Soutar read his expression correctlv and laughingly explained.. " Don't bo annoyed with Amy because she heard your description of her," said Soutar, with huge enjoyment. " You barely did her justico but she won't mind that." " Well, it wasn't a fair thing to lead me on to making a fool of myself," Neil addressed Soutar.

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" Away, man. Just a little joke on you." Soutar chuckled. " An' now don't stand 011 ceremony. Amy'll be here for a mouth or more an' you'll be seeing something of each other, so let it be Amy and Neil from the start. Unless you're going to hold your first meeting against the lassie." " With Miss Brent's permission," agreed Campbell. " Then you have it —Neil," smiled Amy. " I'm really sorry for hitting you on "the head, but then it was mostly your own fault, wasn't it?" " Well, of course I did tell .you to throw it." Neil could not be so churlish, aftqr receiving an apology, backed by a breath-taking smile, which, somehow, managed to convince him that ho was actually to blamo and that ho had been a brute to Amy. During the following week Neil was a daily visitor to Soutar's house. Mrs. Soutar, on one occasion when Amy was not present, said, " You are attending much better to your social duties than you did, Neil. You were rather ei'ratic with your calls." " Yes, quite timo I reformed, isn't it?" was his noncommittal rejoinder. " The constant dripping of water, you know," Mrs. Soutar advised in a teasing manner. " Ts that an apt simile?" " Quite. Case hardened, you know. But tender inside."

" Good description of a soft-boiled egg," and Mrs. Soutar shooed him out. But a week passed before Amy and Neil had a chance of speaking aloin;. Amy had taken one of her rambles and when topping a hill sho came 011 Neil driving a flock of sheep. " Where away, shepherd?" she greeted. "Over the hill to pastures new," Neil called back. "Then I'm coming with_you," was her sudden decision. " But—" "It's no use 'butting'. I've never driven sheep beforo but I'm going to start now." She smiled delightfully across the sheep at Neil. " Why, I'm overjoyed, but you wouldn't let me say so," Neil returned. "I've seen pictures of shepherdesses leading the flocks, so I'm going to do the same." She looked enquiringly at her companion. " But I havo a leader," Nell protested, and pointed to a dog beside Amy. " Give him a rest." " Then you'll have to obey orders," he stated. "Try me," she laughed, and moved, off at the head of the sheep. Neil would most assuredly sooner have had Any beside him but was content so long as she was with him. T3e had no excuse to give an order until a crossroads was reached. "Whu-ee," he whistled when he wanted her to turn. She looked around. " Whu-e, whu-e," he t again whistled as she moved to the side and toward him. His dogs gave tongue, and Amy, quick to take the cue, yap yapped in imitation. Neil laughed, for lie had hardly expected that. "Whe-u, whee-u," he whistled as the sheep turned. His heading dog moved out and by that Amy knew what was wanted. She ran and headed the sheep. Neil heard her laugh and knew that she was enjoying it all. It seemed easy going for Amy until she met an old farmer driving a dray. Ho looked with surprise at her but called, " 'Day, Miss. Air you Neil's new leader?"

" Yap, yap!" she replied in dog language. The old man chuckled appreciatively and when he passed the sheep, said to Neil, " That's a grand little leader you've got there." The end of the leading came all too soon for Amy and she said with genuine' regret, " I'm sorry it's over so soon. It's the jolliest time I've had for ever so long.'' " What! It's the first I've heard of this," ho exclaimed. Then, " I mean, 1 thought you were staying for a month." " So did I," she replied, "but there you are. I'm really sorry to leave. It's been the best holiday I've had." " But you'll bo coming back again?" he asked. " Soon as I can. 1 haven't seen anything of the place yet," sue repl'ed.

Remembering Mrs. Soutar's words about the dripping of water, Campbell decided to improve on her advice. Ho determined to storm Amy's heart with a veritable deluge. " Amy, as soon as I first saw you i knew that there was no other woman in the world —" he started. " Why, whatever —" then, glancing at her watch, she exclaimed, " It is late. I'll see 3'ou to-night," and she turned away. " I won't bo able to get along tonight, for I'll bo busy with those sheep," he answered somewhat stiffly. " Very well. Then good-bye!" She gave that nod of her head which expresses feminine indifference. When next Campbell visited Soutar's place Amy had been gone five days. Mrs. Soutar had received a letter from her and proceeded to read portions of it to Campbell. Ho was in hopes that he would bfc mentioned but he was disappointed. " Don't worry, Neil. She hasn't mentioned you this time an' mightn't for months," was Tom Soutar's shrewd though not encouraging observation. " But keep hopin'. This one," he indicated his wife with a nod, " this one led me, a merry dance." Something of this sort was said at each visit Neil paid to his friends. Time drew on, and weeks became months before lie was mentioned in one of Amy's letters. She gave him a short paragraph which Mrs. Soutar read to inin. Amy wondered whether Noil would bo training, his dog when sho visited her aunt's early in the next month. Neil's spare time was utilised in training for the forthcoming trials the young dog Amy had patted upon her first visit. With much training Noil had changed its friendly attitude to strangers into suspicion, and when coaxed by people it now responded with a ferocious attack. Three days before the trials Neil gave his dog a final trial run and was quite satisfied with its performance. So intent was tho he that he did not bother to glance backward. Had ho done so surprise and pleasure would have been his at seeing Amy descending the hill from tho station. As it was ho did not become aware of her presenco until ho heard a whistle behind him. Before lie could turn, a voice, tho memory of which, had of lato played havoc with his peace of mind, called coaxingly to his dog. Neil and his collio turned together, Neil expressing in his face all that ho had felt and hoped sincj Amy had left; the collie, true to its training to distrust caressing words, was snarling wickedly. Together, man and dog sprang. Noil, sweeping Amy from her feet, sent the dog a-sprawl into tho road. Amy clung to him in fear. " It's all right, dear," ho spoke soothingly. " It's all right." " I —l thought—" "That I love you?" ho seized his opportunity. " Well, you're quite right. And when shall it bo?" *"0 hj! Neil," in surprise she gasped, 'hen shyly, " Just as soon as you like." «