Chapter Seventeen
The puppies came of age and Nipper was sent away with a trained handler hired from the village. The other dogs began to earn their keep daily, and they also brought in mates from the wilderness.
2 Bright Eyes was the first. She and her rider had been hunting one day when a male had suddenly appeared and began to follow them. He walked right into the village and laid down before her shelter like he'd been raised there.
3 One day when the other dogs were being saddled, he simply walked up and slid under one of the saddles while the handler was holding it up!
4 "My, you are a friendly fellow!" the handler said. So the dog got his name, and he quickly became a part of the herd.
5 Dreamer's male did not come quite so easily. Dreamer liked to guard the flocks. She treated the rams and ewes like puppies.
6 One day a large male dog suddenly appeared out of the brush and started chasing one of the ewes. He must have been totally confused when another dog, let alone, a female, slammed into his side, then took a vicious nip at his hindquarters.
7 He was not one to take such action. A vicious, snarling fight ensued that lasted for several minutes.
8 Dreamer might have gotten the worst of it, but hearing the ruckus, Big Fellow arrived and put a quick end to the argument, by knocking the other male senseless.
9 When he came to, he got a drink of water from the brook, gave a nasty snarl in Dreamer's direction, and disappeared. But the next day he was back.
10 He sat down on the opposite side of the flock from Dreamer, stayed there most of the day, and disappeared.
11 Day after day he moved a little closer, until finally he sat beside her. When one of the lambs walked over and sat down beside hm, he didn't even look at it.
12 That night when the sheep were driven to their pens, Dreamer went to follow them, but the male sat in his place. She looked back at him and emitted the soft, low growl that the dogs made to something pleasurable.
13 The male rose and followed her into the village. He wasn't as easily trained as Friendly, but once he DID take a rider, he LOVED it! But because of how he at first appeared, the villagers always called him Fighter.
14 Little Fellow brought his mate to the village one day, but it was a strange arrival. He had disappeared for several days, and everyone was worried about him, when a hunter reported he'd seen him making his way towards the village with a female, but they were terribly slow and the female seemed sick or hurt.
15 Nameless Fox and several other riders went out to find them. When they did, they found Little Fellow laying beside the female. She was full grown, but looked half starved.
16 The other dog sniffed and kissed her, and she responded. Nameless Fox got down and examined the dog. "Good Lords!" he cried, "No wonder they're going so slow! She's stone cold blind!"
17 He stood beside the dog and clapped his hands loudly. She tilted her head slowly in his direction, but she should have jumped.
18 "Whatever it was," said the man, "it couldn't have been too long ago. She couldn't have survived long like this."
19 He looked at some singed areas on her fur and suddenly straightened up. "Good Lord!" he gasped, "She's been struck by lightning!"
20 The other men agreed it was a possible answer. The dog was too weak to get to the village, so they brought her food and water, left two men there to watch them, and let them make their own way.
21 It took them three days to make a day's journey, but finally Lucky, as she came to be called, was in Little Fellow's shelter.
22 She required special attention and could not be ridden. It was too dangerous for her, or, a rider. But Little Fellow adored her, and all in the village quickly became attached to her.
23 She rarely ventured from the gate, but she knew the scent of every house and every person, and could make her way around the circle quite well.
24 The other dogs somewhat pampered her, bringing her choice little morsels and often keeping her company. Her blindness and deafness did not effect her puppies, which were young, strong, and bold.
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