MY OLD DOG TRIM. 79 



many flies, I was utterly discouraged. On my way home 

 I was thinking it over, and the more I thought the less I 

 liked it, and I made up my mind that I would take him out 

 the next day and shoot him. When I started out in the 

 morning I told my father that I should leave Trim in the 

 swamps unless he showed some signs. It was hard to make 

 up my mind to this, but my patience was entirely exhausted, 

 and I was hearlbroken with his apathetic disposition. I 

 hunted through the forenoon with fair success, and hai eaten 

 my lunch and was just ready to start when my other dog 

 came to a point, right in the path ; I walked in aheidaud 

 flushed a bevy of quails that fl3W straight down the cart- 

 path, about thirty rods, and scattered in some low brush on 

 the hillside. I followed and picked up several of them, 

 when I happened to think that I had not seen Trim for some 

 time; I whistled, but to no purpose, and started back ex- 

 pecting to find him, asleep, where I Lad eaten lunch, but 

 when I got into the path, and looked up it, I was never 

 more astonished in my life than to see tLis brute of a Trim 

 on a staunch point, where the birds first started from. My 

 mind was in a perfect whirl ; I was completely dazsd, and it 

 was some little time before I stirred from my tracks. There 

 was this dog, that had followed me around for two weeks 

 with head and tail down, and had never in the whole time 

 shown the least sign of intelligence, now wid3 awake, every 

 hair bristling with excitement, his head well up, tail straight, 

 and a magnificent sight as he stood in the open, just at the 

 top of rising ground, his form outlined upon the clear sky, 

 his jaws quivering with excitement, and every angle and 

 curve of his body expressing eager desire. Here at last was 

 the fruition of my 1 ^ng cherished wish for a dog that would 

 make a stylish, gamey point. I walked up to him, and with 

 many a loving pit and kind word endeavored to make him 

 understand that I was in full s;mpathy with him, and that, 

 thenceforth, I was his loving friend. It was laughable to see 

 the other dog perform; although one of the best dogs to 

 back that I ever owned, he was undoubtedly so much tur- 

 priscd to see Trim point, that he forgot all about it, and with 



