286 FIELD SHOOTING. 



Fanny knew no fancy tricks, and would not 

 fetch and carry out of the field. I have never 

 taught my dogs out of the field. In the field no 

 dog ever beat her. Her quick perception and 

 sense were extraordinary. She seemed to under- 

 stand what was wanted. If ducks in a pond were 

 to be crawled up to, she would lie down as I 

 started, and stay there until she heard the crack 

 of the gun. If I laid anything down and told her 

 to watch it, she always remained until I returned. 

 If I had stayed away all day, or two days for that 

 matter, she would not have left her post. 



I have known dogs that could not be called 

 off a point; but they were those which had been 

 broken not to flush their game, leaving that to 

 the shooter. An English gentleman came to Elk- 

 hart from St. Louis, with whom I went shooting 

 nearly every day during his visit. He had a pair 

 of splendid pointers, as fine as I ever saw large, 

 strong dogs with long heads. One of them was 

 black, the other red. When the black dog would 

 get on a point in corn, he would not leave it 

 until either his master or some other man flushed 

 the birds. The consequence was that we often 

 had to go in and find him, and I have fre- 

 quently been half an hour in searching for him. 



