POINTERS AND SETTERS 113 



fellows, and when pointing dogs are made to back up false 

 points they perform the operation as an act of unwilling 

 obedience, and do not assume those attitudes that are so pleasing 

 in the willing dog. It is therefore quite impossible to have 

 good backing in a brace of dogs, if one, or both, false point. But 

 there is a way in which a useless false pointer (and they all 

 are useless) can be made to give a good lesson in backing and 

 one not easily forgotten, that should not be often, if at all, 

 repeated. It is a trick on the dog to be educated, and as such 

 must not be found out, otherwise its virtue will be gone. 



The plan is to get a wing-clipped partridge and to fasten 

 to its wing a leather strap, and to this latter a string of 

 20 yards length with a peg at its end, around which the string 

 can be wound. All together can be put into a cartridge bag, for 

 choice one of waterproofed canvas, because it is riot certain 

 whether, in any other sort, the dog will discover what is being 

 carried on the shoulder of his trainer, and it is important he 

 should not discover. Then it is necessary to hunt the pro- 

 spective backer with the false pointer. The latter will soon 

 get a point, which the puppy will ignore or investigate. In 

 either case, wait until the pupil has done the field and comes 

 back ; he will then again see the false point, and before he gets 

 down wind of it he must be dropped by hand. He is by this 

 time "cock sure" his companion is pointing nothing; but in his 

 absence you have unrolled the string from your partridge and 

 put the peg in the ground at a place up wind of the point- 

 ing dog, but down wind of the spot where you intend to drop 

 the pupil. You have taken the partridge out of its bag, and, 

 having placed its head under its wing, you have given it two or 

 three swings round, so as to make it giddy. Then you have 

 placed it on the ground lying on that wing under which is its 

 head, and there you have left it. It will lie quite still for a 

 quarter of an hour, if need be. Having gone back to the peg, 

 which must be between the partridge and your young dog for 

 obvious reasons, you give the string a snatch, and up flutters 

 the partridge in full view. The bird will make a racket 

 when he finds himself caught, and will flutter a good deal. 



