AFRICAN CAMP FIRES 



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 catholic 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 instincts had been supplemented 

 by a rigorous early training. 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, of 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. The Dog must 

 on no account move from his tracks until such 

 command is given. All the affair is perfectly simple; 

 but quite inflexible. Any variation in this procedure 

 fills the honest bird dog's mind with the same horror 

 and dismay experienced by a well-brought-up young 



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