138 THE COMPLETE SHOT 



the race, which was nearly the first dog he broke. But he was 

 almost ashamed to say that he did break it ; for, with the 

 exception of holding up a hand occasionally, there was nothing 

 to be done, and yet this dog had all the desire to quest for 

 game that could be wished. It taught itself to point, to range, 

 to back, and almost to drop to wing, and never desired to 

 chase a hare. Shortly before this, being then very young, the 

 author became impressed with the necessity of possessing more 

 pointers, and by means of advertisement procured a bitch to 

 breed from. She had a pedigree of enormous proportions and 

 pretence, but a list of names has no meaning unless attached 

 to those names are records of the performances of the animals 

 that once possessed them. However, not everybody was aware 

 of that at a period, unlike the present, when a pointer generally 

 meant a dog kept to shoot over, and the purchase looked like 

 a pointer at any rate, it was liver-and-white. She bred four 

 puppies, which were very foolishly exhibited at the Birmingham 

 Show. More foolish still it was to give them a run behind a 

 horse. They looked like following, and if they would not, the 

 author believed he could follow them. They soon put him to 

 the test, for they went straight away in a pack after nothing 

 whatever, until they came to a field in which sheep were penned 

 on turnips. Then they all together went for the sheep, and for 

 the first time divided. It is all very well to be huntsman, 

 but difficult to double the parts and be whipper-in as well, 

 especially when the pack divides. Besides, one hunting thong 

 does not go far in tying up four dogs to hurdles ; more especially 

 when they bite the thong in two while another is being ridden 

 down. There was much cry and not a little wool ; but 

 although they went for the throats, they were attacking Lincoln 

 or Leicester sheep, and the long wool helped to save some of 

 the mutton. These dogs had no natural quest, although they 

 were wild for a race and for blood. Had they had collars on 

 when they went for the sheep, each could have been rendered 

 harmless upon being caught by having one fore foot slipped 

 through the collar, but the author did not learn the trick until 

 many years later. 



