STRENUOUS DOGS AND SPORT IN AMERICA 155 



been seen once or twice. Their sense of locality now becomes 

 of as great importance as their bird sense. If they had not 

 the former, they could either not go out of sight, or, doing so, 

 would be lost. They may be the other side a hill and through 

 a wood and half a mile away, but they can come straight back 

 to you from any point, provided you ride straight. If you 

 turn when they are out of sight, you defeat them, and they 

 lose you. In such country as this it is not surprising that one 

 school of shooters prefer what they call close ranging dogs, 

 which, however, are not quarterers, but merely dogs of lesser 

 courage, or those that fear to be lost. But, every other quality 

 being equal, the field trials are won by the fastest stayers of 

 the wide ranging variety, but such as do not lose themselves 

 and do find game. In the Champion Stake for previous field 

 trial winners that I assisted to judge in 1904, the rules insist 

 on three-hour heats, and in practice competition demands 

 these heats to be run at top speed throughout ; but this speed 

 in no sense means racing, but the most strenuous hunting 

 for game. 



Although the close ranging school condemn high ranging 

 on various grounds, it is interesting to note that when 

 they breed a litter of puppies the sires they use are those 

 which have won these Champion Stakes. They are wise 

 enough to know that, given the natural canine energy in their 

 young dogs, they can turn it to advantage either in close or 

 wide ranging, or merely in staying longer at a slower pace. 



The broods of quail are not easy to find, because of the 

 strenuous canine work required to cover so much ground, and 

 the bird sense necessary to enable the dogs to select the right 

 ground on which to hunt. When the brood is found and 

 flushed, it scatters. Then any slow dog can find the scattered 

 birds, and this is when the bag is filled ; but it is not the valued 

 canine quality, for the very reason that it is common property, 

 whereas bird sense, sense of locality, and covey finding in the 

 highest degree, are rare traits by comparison. 



One day when the writer was shooting in Tennessee, 

 his host had out three handlers of dogs, each mounted, and 



