REASON IN THE DOG. 259 



Avon in considerable flood, lie was out with me, 

 and I killed a heron at a very long shot, who fell 

 on the other side the river, where the stream was 

 immensely rapid, and from the flood very wide. 



On seeing the heron fall, he dashed in, and, 

 swimming across, picked up the bird, and then 

 came over a shallow a certain way into the river, 

 the wings of the heron blowing incommodiously 

 across his face. The breadth of the stream, its 

 force, and the immensely high wind, weighed on 

 his mind J and I saw him tliink as to how he could, 

 with the greatest ease, accomplish his purpose. 



An idea never entered his honest, gallant, and 

 faithful head of blinking his duty, and I felt sure 

 he would never let that heron out of his mouth 

 till he gave it into my hand. Well, he stood for a 

 moment opposite me, — it was a pause of profound 

 mental and reasonable consideration ^ — and then he 

 set off at a full gallop for Christchurch Mill, which 

 was the nearest bridge at which he could cross 

 the water, and it was a mile or more off. Thinking 

 that it was the bridge that he was looking for, I 

 watched him down the meadows, when suddenly 

 he turned short to his left and bore down for the 



river again, to the exact spot where some days 



s 2 



