SPORTING DOGS IN THE FIELD, 77 



"bawling at your dog. Apart from its being an ungentlemanly 

 habit, it frightens the quail more or less, and they will not lie 

 so well to the dog. Ha ! but Dash has come down to a point 

 most beautiftilly, Hoho!' You carefrilly approach, flush and 

 shoot the bird, and immediately give your attention to the dog, 

 crying * charge ! ' in a strong and emphatic tone ; if he breaks, 

 get hold of his collar as soon as possible and lash him, and at 

 the same time drag him to his ^ point' and make him ^ charge ^ and 

 keep his position until you reload. You then cry '■ hie up,' make 

 friends with him, and cast him off — he soon points again. You 

 manage to get very near the dog, and when you fire, immediately 

 cry ' charge ! ' and it would be well to accompany ^ the word 

 with a blow,' at this juncture. You make him charge, reload, 

 cry ^ hie up,' indicate the point where the bird has fallen, and 

 command him to 'hie fetch!' You cast him off again, and 

 alivays^ manage to control him offcer you fire — never ^ never suffer- 

 ing him to break shot without feeling the lash. Remember 

 this is the most critical time for yourself and dog. Never suffer 

 yourself to become excited j do not for some time fire more 

 than one barrel, tha* you may sooner give your attention to 

 Dash, and you will accomplish much if you can be near enough 

 to Dash to give him the lash as he first springs from the point, 

 at the same time crying ' charge ! ' If you do not suffer your- 

 self to become excited, and lose sight of your dog after your 

 shot, you will soon have him drop at the report of the gun ; but 

 rest assured, if you let him have his own way a few times, in 

 your eagerness to secure game, you will rue it for many a day 

 to come. You cannot have this fact too strongly impressed 

 upon yourself. If you control him from, the first, your object 

 wiU be attained. If Dash evinces unusual perverseness in this, 

 it will be well to make him ' charge' while on a 'point.' Even 

 should he see a dead bird fall, he should not retrieve without 

 permission." 



It is a maxim in hunting never to allow a dog to run ahead 

 of another in a point, but either to make him back, or come in to 

 heel. Besides the danger of flushing your game, it would be 

 permitting an unfair advantage to be taken of the dog doing his 

 duty in the lead, of both which a dog of nice sensibility will 

 show himself to be conscious. It happened, some years since, 

 that a party was out, near Old Point Comfort in Virginia, with 



a fine pointer belonging to Mr. A . A small terrier had 



accompanied them, and whenever the pointer would take his 

 stand, the terrier would rush by him, and put up -the birds. 

 Kepeating this vexatious, ungentlemanly conduct several time*?, 

 the pointer was seen to grow impatient. At last having found 



