390 THE BOOK OF THE DOG. 



liberal-minded sportsman, who will coincide with the writer in opinion, that prudent prevention 

 is preferable to the uncertainty of cure ; and that a slight and salutary correction to-day, 

 may sometimes render unnecessary the doubly and trebly enhanced deserts of to-morrow." 



The above remarks are essentially practical, and show that considerable attention had 

 been paid to the habits and breaking of the Pointer. Of a very different nature is the 

 anecdote told of the worthy priest, in the following extract from the " Sportsman's 

 Repository " in fact, the story bears with it the impression that it was merely a playful 

 invention of the author of the work, to excite the feelings of those responsible for the story 

 of the staunchness of Juno and Pluto, when Mr. Gilpin was executing their likenesses ; 

 we therefore give the extract for what it is worth, merely observing that the story told 

 of the price given for the Pointer Dash, and the conditions under which he was disposed 

 of are, we believe, perfectly correctly referred to, as they are accepted as facts by other 

 writers of that period, who themselves express no doubt of their veracity. The staunchness 

 of Pluto and Juno is, of course, possible ; but we should venture to suggest that the balance 

 of probability lies in favour of it being slightly exaggerated. However, it is valuable as showing 

 that, in the first place, breeders began to recognise the fact that too much Foxhound was 

 undesirable in their Pointers, as it rendered them headstrong ; and, in the second place, that 

 the dogs had become more staunch, or any foundation for the story could not have existed. 



"For something very extraordinary in the sporting way we must have recourse to the 

 practice of Colonel Thornton, whose high and laudable ambition it has ever been, both to 

 deviate from the common road and to excel ; and he has undoubtedly so far succeeded as 

 to raise a name which will go down with tclat to sporting posterity. We suppose that 

 the Colonel himself meditated and carried into effect the crosses necessary to produce his 

 famous Pointer, Dash, which is, as we have before observed, in all probability three-parts Fox- 

 hound. Dash, in his day, was held to be the Eclipse of Pointers, a character sanctioned by his 

 high ranging over the moors, the vast expedition with which he cleared his ground, and the 

 intuitive, heaven-born method, said to be almost incredible, in which he hunted inclosures 

 for birds, which was by at once scenting and advancing upon them, without the previous 

 labour imposed upon other Pointers, of quartering his ground : add to this, he was a most 

 staunch and steady backer or seconder of other dogs. Dash was sold by Colonel Thornton 

 to the late Sir Richard Symons for one hundred and sixty pounds' worth of champagne 

 and burgundy, bought at the French ambassador's sale, a hogshead of claret, an elegant 

 gun, and a Pointer ; with the annexed stipulation that, if any accident should befall the 

 dog, which might render him unfit for hunting, he was to be returned to the Colonel at the 

 price of fifty guineas. This latter agreement actually took place : Dash had the misfortune to 

 break his leg, and was returned to Colonel Thornton, who considered him in that state a 

 great acquisition as a stallion. 



"Exalted as was the reputation 01 Dash, it seems nearly impossible that he could 

 have exceeded in point of steadiness the merit of a brace of other Pointers, the property 

 also of Colonel Thornton, Pluto and Juno. Pluto has also been already cited as a famous 

 deer hunter. It is recorded that this dog and bitch, being taken at a point, kept their 

 point upwards of one hour and a quarter ; namely, until the late celebrated Mr. Gilpin 

 could take the sketch from which they were painted for their proprietor, an elegant 

 engraving of which we find in Mr. Daniel's 'Rural Sports.' 



