168 Seventy Years a Master, 



could "nobble them" in the old days, and 

 perhaps with our old-fashioned muzzle-loaders 

 we could have cut the combs of some of the 

 present generation of " sportsmen.'* 



Next to my hounds I loved a good pointer, 

 and that intelligent animal is absolutely 

 essential if you are to have good sport with 

 the gun. 1 believe I once had as good a 

 pointer as ever went into a field, old 

 " Rocket." He was a beautiful creature, and 

 no dog could make a better ''point." 



I was out with him one day with a friend 

 who had another pointer. We were going up 

 a bit of stubble, and both dogs ''stood." 

 " Which shall we have first ? " my friend 

 asked. 



" Oh," said I, " let's have your lot first." 

 " Stand, Eocket ! " I called. 



We got two brace out of his covey, and 

 then we gathered them. Rocket still " stood," 

 and we went back to him and a nice covey got 

 up and we had a leash out of them. 



He was a wonderful dog. I had a grey 

 mare once, and I could give old Rocket the 



