176 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



and slink under the table, but, whilst the 

 missus has gone upstairs to dress, they both 

 slide off" down the park, and lay up under a 

 tree near by the footpath to Stanstead. As my 

 wife passes them they creep up behind her, 

 Help, the retriever pup, and Topsy, the 

 poodle. After a while she catches sight of 

 them, and then Topsy sits up and begs, whilst 

 the pup hangs down his head, and crawls 

 sheepishly towards her ; there is no resisting 

 this so she says : — '* Come along then." In a 

 moment there is a change from sorrowful 

 pleading to exuberant joy, off they go, barking 

 and yelping like fury, the clumsy pup bringing 

 up the rear, and ending off by rolling down 

 the bank into the stream, where, like a good 

 water dog, he gives himself a thorough washing. 

 Topsy was a French poodle, and very intelli- 

 gent, as indeed are all his breed, so we never 

 had any trouble with him except once about 

 going with us on a Sunday, and then we did 

 not tell him he wasn't to go. 



One Sunday, when I was going to Chapel, I 

 met Topsy down near the street, and he turned 



