94 EEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 



as anything conld be. Untiring, she was gifted 

 with great nose, sense, and sagacity. Vin 

 never bred till she was nine years old, when 

 she produced, by Nathan (a sire dog of Mr. 

 Edge's, given by that gentleman to the late 

 Hon. Henry Howard, as a fine specimen of his 

 breed), the subject of this long story, Tom, or 

 Old Tom, as he is generally called. 



It is possible that there are still living some 

 two or three sportsmen who knew Tom, and 

 when I say he did all but talk to us out 

 shooting, they would vouch for the truth of my 

 statement. 



I once sent him out with a friend staying 

 with me, accustomed to dogs, and on his return 

 he said : — 



" I have not only had a good day's shooting, 

 but the most agreeable and extraordinary com- 

 panion I ever shot with : Tom has been talking 

 to me all day, and telhng me where he was 

 going, and where I ought to go." 



This was perfectly true, for it is his habit. 

 Every man has, of course, the best dog in the 

 world, though I do not pretend to say Tom 

 was; indeed, I have had better myself, but 

 never saw one of his sagacity. 



Lews is a hard country for dogs to find game 

 in — ^hilly, with hillocks ; so that you cannot 



