Dennis Wesley - Album of Dogs

Album of Dogs

An imprint of Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing Division

1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

This Aladdin hardcover edition November 2015

www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright 1955 by Rand McNally & Company

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Jacket designed by Laura Lyn DiSiena

Jacket illustrations by Wesley Dennis

Jacket illustrations copyright 1955 by Rand McNally & Company

Interior designed by Jacquelynne Hudson

The text of this book was set in Adobe Garamond Pro.

Library of Congress Control Number 55-8890

ISBN 978-1-4814-4257-2 (hc)

ISBN 978-1-4814-4300-5 (eBook)

T O A LEX

whose tail wags like a metronome

A ND TO D ICE

who is clean but not spotless

T HE P OINTER

T HE E NGLISH S ETTER

T HE I RISH S ETTER

T HE G ORDON S ETTER

B ONNIE WAS HER NAME, AND lovely as it is it did not begin to describe the golden glory of her coat or the snow-white ruff that framed her gentle face.

Bonnies master was a Scotch Highlander, a Mister Peebles, burly and gnarled as the walking staff he carried.

In all of Scotland there was no better man with a Collie. He had trained Bonnie not only to sort and cull sheep but to guide and drive them home alone. All alone.

So well did Bonnie understand her master and his ways that her mind seemed to dart ahead of his. Why, whenever he fastened his purse to his belt and she heard the money jingle, her whole being quivered in expectancy. Another new flock to drive home? her eyes asked.

One such day the two of them set off in great glee for a neighboring township. There Mister Peebles found a flock that suited him well. Even as he parted with his silver, his face never lost its glow of pleasure.

Now, gurrl. He turned to Bonnie with a wave of his hand. Awa ye goacrost the moor and homewith the finest flock in the kingdom!

Bonnie galvanized into action. She rounded up and bunched the flock. She headed them toward the moor, and toward the little fenced-in place high in the hills behind Mister Peebless cottage.

Mister Peebles, meanwhile, remained comfortably behind, enjoying a glass of grog in the village and boasting that his Collie excelled all others, even as the moon excels the stars.

But late that afternoon, when he returned home expecting to find Bonnie keeping watch over the new flock, he was baffled. Bonnie was not there. Nor were the sheep!

Hoots, woman! he exclaimed to his wife. This be verra, verra strange! Three mile is nae distance for the likes of her. But Ill take me a wee bit of a nap, and first thing ye ken, Bonniell be here! And the sheep, toowagging their stubby tails behind em!

With a grunt of weariness, he lay down on a couch in the kitchen and gave himself up to sleep.

An hour slid by, and another. The moon bulged up over the hills and the sky was dusted with stars when his wife finally shook him awake.

Mister Peebles rubbed his eyes, trying to think back, but his mind was strangely confused. Had he been dreaming? Had he really seen sheep with wool so long? And where was his Bonnie?

Leaping from the couch he ran out into the night, crying, Bonnie, Bonnie, where are you? He ran past the empty penfold and, old as he was, he ran on down the hillside, peering this way and that into the darkness. He spied a tatter of mist. Or was it a tumbled cloud? Or moonshadow washing the earth? He squinted into it; he thought he saw it move. Then a lamb blatted, and a ewe baa-aa-ed in reply. Now he knew!

Breathing high and quick, he scrambled back up the hill to the penfold and threw wide the gate. Gude gur-r-r-l! He panted out the words as Bonnie herded the flock into the fold. Gude... His voice suddenly broke in his throat. For there, dangling awkwardly from Bonnies mouth, was a newborn pup. Och, Bonnie! he cried, as a wave of shame rushed over him. Och, shure I knew ye were going to have little ones. But, Bonnie, mlass, how could I guess twould be this day?

He took the pup with great gentleness and tucked it into his waistcoat for warmth. Then he stooped down again to praise the mother dog, but she was off, streaking out of sight as he watched.

Three times that night Bonnie returned, carrying another pup and another and another, until all were gathered safe and sound. When at last she settled down to nurse them, Mister Peebles knelt beside her, and brawny as he was, he let the hot tears fall. Bonnie, gurrrl, he said very gently, canst ye ever forgive me? His voice quavered as he stroked the dirt-matted coat. It aches me to think I made ye drive the sheep whilst ye had little ones to whelp.

Bonnie wriggled into position and looked up at her master with a deep sigh. Why, there was nothing at all to forgive! It is ye, her honest eyes seemed to say, that made me a good sheepdog. I durst not for my life leave the flock. Then she licked each of her puppies in turn and, satisfied at last, dropped off to sleep.