18 BEITANNY AND THE CHASE. 



side, you are done. But here my bitch shows her mind. 

 She enters a field, turns round as if to ask leave, and takes 

 a gallop round the ditch. Suddenly she halts ; snuiFs about 

 with her nose in the air : advances slowly a step or two, 

 and points steadily ; looking back an invitation to me to be 

 quick. I walk up ; but w^hat to do ? There is the hare in 

 a thick hedge, with two sides ; and not being like the Irish 

 Serjeant, who could occupy two posts at once, I cannot 

 secure her. I say to Belle, " Stand steady there, and I 

 will go round by the bottom into the other field ; and when 

 ready I will tell you." I then go round ; and when within 

 twenty yards of the place, " Hey in. Belle, put her out : " 

 and in dashes Belle, drives out the hare on ray side, and I 

 shoot her, much to Belle's delight and my own. This is 

 her frequent practice : and if this be not a proof of reason, 

 I do not know what is. On another occasion I hit a hare 

 hard, but she went away bravely. But Belle was more 

 knowing than I, and followed her against my will ; and I 

 lost hare and dog. I shouted, whistled, and looked every- 

 where, but in vain, and got angry; muttering something 

 about " sound thrashing," and " better manners next time," 

 and so forth. Presently I heard a short distant bark, Avhich 

 I recognised, and, following the sound, arrived at the place. 

 There in a corner lay the hare, nearly dead, and Belle 

 sitting opposite to her. She had evidently been carrying 

 her, but being a very small dog could do so no further ; 

 and had therefore called to me to let me know her where- 

 abouts and her difficulty. Was not this reason ? It would be 

 well if many men had as much. To call it instinct is a play 

 upon words. Instinct is defined by Paley to be " prior to ex- 



