156 SHOOTING THE PAKTRIDGE 



self, off faster than l>efore down to the end, racing 

 along the fence towards the corner, and just as any 

 one who didn't know him would he inclined to shout 

 him back, a little whirr, the flash of the under- 

 white of a wing, and Gunner caught the bird in the 

 air, and trotted proudly back to his master without 

 ruffling a feather. 



In those days there were many hares, and in 

 threading his way through a turnip field after a winged 

 bird a dog must be trusted to pass by the temptation 

 of the scent of fur as well as of fresh birds. I fear 

 that since the introduction and spread of driving there 

 are fewer masters and keepers who understand break- 

 ing and working a retriever than there were formerly. 

 The well-broken retriever is more needed every day, 

 as the pointer and setter recede before nineteenth 

 century conditions of shooting, but I am afraid that he 

 becomes scarcer. The demand is vastly in excess of 

 the supply, and as there is no difficulty about multi- 

 plication of the species, and as the health and treat- 

 ment of dogs are more humanely and scientifically 

 understood than ever, we are forced to the conclusion 

 that it is their training that is deficient. 



Much as I love driving, I am afraid that it is 

 largely responsible for this. As I hinted above, no 

 dog will ever be really useful in the field, even where 1 



