Brief encounter on the run

When they saw each other they were 50 yards apart, but that was about to change.

In ten months of Chimineas visits Fred never met the stock dogs until now.

The border collie crouched like a predator -- the sheep intimidation thing, and Fred ran straight at it.

Speed the border collie turned and the chase was on.

I knew the cowman's border collies were faster than Fred -- I'd seen them chase ground squirrels.

Cattleman Ross, their owner with the Yosemite Sam mustache told me he once had a crossbreed like Fred.  It herded cattle, but always ate dust when it ran with border collies.

We watched as Fred raced after the border collie -- he was humping at high speed and was actually gaining ground. I was amazed.

For some reason however he started to veer off course.

He had switched to chasing rabbit I thought -- blame it on Canine Attention Deficit Disorder.

But then we saw another border collie running flat out after Fred.

Fred the pursued now was headed in our direction, but a few moments later the chase fizzled. The border collies quit.

The dogs eyed each other at a safe distance with tongues hanging.

I suspect the collie let Fred gain on him. 

If we hadn't turned in for dinner I have the feeling it would have ended up a game of chase, like the dogs and coyote below.

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