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CHAPTER XII. 



SETTERS AND WET CRAWLS. 



AT last care began to tell, and tlie grouse 

 increased ; and my landlord having kindly 

 raised the roof of my house, I was enabled to 

 take in two guns. By great good fortune I 

 stumbled upon two very nice fellows, soldiers 

 of course — T. D. and W. H. N. by name — who 

 had served and run a good deal in couples 

 together, and delighted in shooting in com- 

 pany. I thus was enabled to gratify my own 

 peculiar fancy, which was dog-breaking — or 

 superintending dog-breaking as I got older, 

 and could not walk up to a pair of young 

 scamperers. 



I had taken great pains with my dogs, never 

 breeding from anything but good animals. I 

 had been obliged to give up pointers (save and 

 except keeping up old Tom's blood, of which I 

 always kept a brace), as they would not stand 

 the climate. When I say pointers won't stand 

 rough climate, I must except those that have a 



