PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. 199 



started down the side of the ravine at a run, but 

 turned and came in at the sound of the whistle, 

 dropping his stern rather sulkily as I thought. 

 The setter was sent into the ravine, but after a 

 long hunt was unable to find the bird. I then 

 directed the pointer " to seek dead bird," but he 

 refused to go out, and showed his teeth when 

 corrected, for which he received a sound thrash- 

 ing. We then sent both dogs out again, and 

 descended into the ravine, the sides and bottom 

 of which were covered with brush. After search- 

 ing for the grouse for some moments, we gave it 

 up and climbed the opposite side. When we 

 had advanced about a hundred yards deeper 

 in the woods, Czar suddenly turned back at full 

 gallop and in a few minutes came to my side 

 with the bird fluttering in his mouth. He had, 

 no doubt, observed it fall in- the first place, as he 

 had probably seen hundreds fall before, but why 

 he should show any desire to retrieve it before 

 he was ordered, unless he had noticed that it 

 was merely winged, was the puzzle. His sulki- 

 ness and impatience of correction, both of which 

 were unusual, inclined me strongly to think that 

 this was actually the case ; and when the bird 

 was found in the manner related, my friend and 

 I were confirmed in our belief. As T. remarked 



