224 Sporting Sketches 



puts his feet down as though such things as thorns 

 and burrs had never been. Behind them stands the 

 little figure watching with moist eyes, for one is 

 hers and the other belongs to one of hers. Though 

 they went and returned one thousand times in 

 safety, still still it might be. Wonderful 

 are thy ways, O woman ! 



At the corner the tall figure halts and right-about- 

 faces with military precision, the gun is whipped 

 through the salute, and at the instant the white dog 

 rises erect upon his hind feet. Both man and dog 

 know that all these things must be done before 

 rounding the turn, else the day would not be all it 

 should. A kerchief flutters in the distance, then 

 they pass in a few strides from town to country. 



Before them spreads a huge pasture, beyond that 

 a grove of mighty trees, and beyond that the shoot- 

 ing grounds farm after farm, with here a bit of 

 woods and there a thicket. For miles the country 

 is the same, and through it all, in a bee-line, extends 

 the double track of an important railway. Along 

 either side of this runs a broad ditch, now bone-dry 

 and bordered with low cat-briers. These and the 

 ripe weeds standing thickly in the angles of the rail- 

 fences form rare good cover for scattered birds. 



" Well, Mister," says the man to the dog, " guess 

 you'd best have a pipe-opener right here." He 

 waves his hand and clucks softly, and the dog sails 

 away over the short fall grass. A judge of dogs 

 would watch this pointer with solid satisfaction. 

 So smooth is his action and so systematic is his 

 method of covering ground, that his tremendous 

 speed is not at first apparent. But for all that he is 



