about noon
As the sheep run covered an area of about one hundred square miles , it was too much to expect that they would examine the whole of it . They visited two or three of the out-stations , and saw the shepherds caring for their flocks . Each of the out-stations that they visited consisted of a hut for two men , and two yards where the sheep were kept at night . As already mentioned in our account of the visit of the party to a sheep farm in South Africa , each shepherd started out in the morning with his flock , moving it slowly along so as to reach water about noon , and then slowly feeding it back again , reaching the station about nightfall . Nearly every shepherd has a sheep dog , partly for the sake of companionship and partly for assistance . A good sheep dog is a very useful and valuable animal . He aids the shepherd in keeping the flock together whenever any of them show a disposition to straggle , and the sheep speedily learn to know him and regard him as their friend .