178 AFRICAN CAMP FIRES. 



their own hook, preserved their lives from other- 

 wise inevitable extinction, and were of great 

 assistance in saving their masters' skins. 



One member of the pack, perhaps two, were, 

 however, rather pathetic figures. I refer to the 

 setters, Wayward and Girlie. Ranger, Ruby, 

 Ben, and Nero scampered merrily over the land- 

 scape after anything that stirred, from field 

 mice to serval cats. All was game to their catho- 

 lic tastes ; and you may be sure, in a country 

 like Africa, they had few dull moments. But 

 Wayward and Girlie had been brought up in a 

 more exclusive manner. Their early instincts 

 had been supplemented by a rigorous early train- 

 ing. Game to them meant birds, and birds only. 

 Furthermore, they had been solemnly assured by 

 human persons in whom they had the utmost 

 confidence, that but one sequence of events was 

 permissible or even thinkable in the presence 

 of game. The Dog at first intimation by scent 

 must convey the fact to the Man, must proceed 

 cautiously to locate exactly, must then stiffen to 

 a point which he must hold staunchly, no matter 

 how distracting events might turn out, or how 

 long an interval might elapse. The Man must 

 next walk up the birds ; shoot at them, perhaps 

 kill one, then command the Dog to retrieve. 



