Page:History of Duncan Campbell, and his dog Oscar (1).pdf/12

 engagements, Oscar came to our assistance, and provided that none of the enemy made a lodgement in his lower defiles, he was always the last combatant of our party on the field. I do not remember of ever being so much diverted by any scene I ever witnessed: or laughing as immoderately as I have done at seeing Oscar involved in a moving cloud of wild bees, wheeling, snapping on all sides, and shaking his ears incessantly.

The sagacity which this animal possessed is almost incredible, while his undaunted spirit and generosity it would do honour to every servant of our own species to copy. Twice did he save his master’s life: at one time when attacked by a furious bull, and at another time when he fell from behind my father off a horse into a flooded river. Oscar had just swimmed across but instantly plunged in a second time to his master's rescue. He first got hold of his bonnet, but that coming off, he quitted it and again catching him by the coat, brought him to the side, where my father reached him. He waked Duncan at a certain hour every morning, and would frequently turn the cows of his own will, when he observed them wrong. If Duncan dropped his knife, or any other small article, he would fetch it along in his mouth ; and if sent back for a lost thing, would infallibly find it. When sixteen years of age, after being unwell for several days, he died one night below his master’s bed. On the evening before when Duncan came in from the plough, he came from his hiding-place, wagged his tail, licked Duncan's hand, and returned to. his death-bed. Duncan and I lamented him with unfeigned sorrow, buried him below the old rowan tree at the back of my father’s garden, placing a square stone at his head, which was still standing the last time I was there. With great labour we composed an epitaph between us, which was once carved on that stone; the metre was good, but the stone was so hard, and the engraving so faint, that the