186 KRIDER'S SPORTING ANECDOTES. 



the nearest road, jumped into a farmer's wagon, 

 which bore us and our four-footed friends some 

 five miles off from the scene of the fray, where 

 we found birds and had fair sport. 



Having now entered the stubbles, observe the 



different modes in which the dogs proceed to 



traverse the ground. The morning is calm, clear 



and bracing. The young dog at once dashes 



out into the centre of the field, quartering his 



ground as he goes, and feathering in fine style 



with the hoar frost flying in his track, while the 



pointer, as usual, directs his course towards the 



corners, near which experience has taught him 



the birds are often found. He is not mistaken, 



for see close to that bunch of broom-corn, near 



the south angle of the fence, he stands "fast 



fixed," while the setter, beaten again in the first 



point in despite of his dash, backs steadily from 



the spot on which he had already detected some 



faint effluvia of the feeding game. The shooters 



come up at quick step, yet cautiously, each in 



the attitude of a practised sportsman ; the covey 



is flushed, each deliberately singles out and 



knocks down his birds ; the dogs are sent to 



retrieve either by the command, " seek, dead 



bird," or by a simple wave of the hand; the 



game is retrieved ; the guns re-loaded, and the 



