Bill of the wild streak

Bill of the wild streak by Howard E. Morgan is a wilderness adventure short story written in the early 20th century. It follows a powerful mongrel sheepdog whose loyalty to his master clashes with a latent “wild streak,” exploring themes of instinct, duty, and redemption.

The story centers on Bill, a husky-collie mix who guards a flock for Hardin, a tough but fair ex-soldier. Bill saves the herd from a coyote and later from a cougar, yet when Hardin leaves, pain and fever unleash Bill’s killer instinct and he slaughters several sheep. Hardin returns, wounds Bill in anger, and the dog flees—but he secretly resumes guarding the flock alongside a lazy collie named Stub. When a forest fire races in, Bill drives the sheep to safety at the pond with fierce urgency; Hardin misreads this as fresh bloodlust and shoots him again before realizing the danger. With the flames engulfing the cabin, Hardin braves the fire to rescue the injured dog, tends his wounds, and promises a new life away from sheep—just the man and his dog.