l62 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



get too far away from you. Keep a sharp look 

 out to see when he winds the birds, and, directly 

 he does so, step up to him as quickly as you 

 can, getting your hand ready for the word 

 * down ' ; then, if the birds rise, keep him down 

 for a while as at the peg, walk round him, go a 

 little distance away, and fire a pistol, half 

 charged only, so as not to alarm him or make 

 him 'gun-shy,' then go and pat him up, calling 

 him a good dog, and bestowing other canine 

 compliments upon him. Off he goes again, and 

 winds another pair of birds lying in the young 

 wheat or early sown barley, which is tall enough 

 to hide them ; then do just the same as before ; 

 drop him at the ' down,' fire the pistol, and 

 raise him. You should hunt one dog only at 

 this stage of the training, it is impossible to 

 manage more, as one will take up all your 

 attention. 



The next thing is to prevent him from put- 

 ting his birds up, to teach him to set or point 

 at them only. Let him hunt on for another 

 pair of birds, — so, he has got them again, and 

 is making straight at them, •' Down Rollo." 



