CHAPTER V. 



QUARTERING. 



WHAT is more pleasing to the eye of the sportsman 

 than the evolutions of a well-trained dog as he 

 systematically quarters his ground ? With what satisfaction 

 and pleasure we gaze upon his graceful motions as with head 

 high in air he gallops across the wind, ever turning at the 

 signal or the promptings of his own good judgment, and 

 crossing just in front covers the whole ground ! Pardonable, 

 indeed, is the pride of the sportsman who possesses such an 

 animal, for well we know how rare it is to see this per- 

 formance in perfection. 



Many dogs seem to possess a sort of instinct for this, and 

 without any special training will quarter their ground very 

 fairly ; while others appear to have no inherent sense of the 

 matter, but will beat straight ahead in whatever direction 

 they are started, and neither turn to the right nor left, nor 

 stop until they find scent, or are recalled by the whistle. 

 Should your pup prove to be of the former class, thank your 

 lucky stars for the kindly fortune ; but relax not your efforts 

 to so train him that his performance shall be faultless. On 

 the other hand, should he display no aptitude for this, do not 

 despair, for with proper training he can be taught to acquit 

 himself very fairly, so well, in fact, that his performances will 

 compare favorably with those of a large majority of other 

 dots that he may meet in the fie-d. 



Before commencing his lessons in quartGricg our pupil 

 should fully understand the meaning of the word " Oft," and 

 readily move forward on hearing it. He will also have ac- 

 quired some knowledge of the meanicg of the motion of your 

 hand as indicating the direction that you wish him to take 

 from the practice that you have given him at " To 7io." For 

 when you have thrown the piece of meat for him to point, 

 he has noticed that this motion is invariably in the direction 

 that he saw the meat thrown, and as he is possessed of 



