CHASING AND RACING 17 



Ted's heart Stella, by name, sprung directly 

 from the primitive Nottingham strain, being by Old 

 Sam, ex Cottingham Nettle. 



My favourite had the run of the premises and was 

 the terror of all interlopers. I had taught him to be a 

 dog of all works. He was as keen as mustard on fur 

 and feather, and did duty for spaniel, pointer or re- 

 triever ; though as regards the last-named industry, 

 I always had to race to the kill ; for Cockie was 

 decidedly of iron jaw, and would reduce a partridge 

 to a melange of blood and plumage in an incredibly 

 short space of time. 



The sad day arrived when, returning from a 

 cutting-out expedition to the Metropolis, there was 

 no little pal to greet me with his usual demonstrations 

 of joy. Cockie had disappeared, utterly and irretriev- 

 ably. Rewards of ^5, 10, and finally 25, elicited 

 no response. I put a detective on the track of possible 

 dog-stealers. He followed what he deemed to be a 

 slender clue into the purlieus of the East, where he 

 was so heavily drugged that he died within a week. 

 Thus tragedy trod on the track of tragedy. 



Cockie had passed ; but his name survived ; 

 for as " Cockie " I have ever since been known 

 to my intimates and to the sporting public in 

 general. 



Strange to relate, friend Ted had suffered the loss 

 of Cockie's dam, under similar circumstances. He 

 and I were strolling in the grounds of my old home, 



