602 DOG-BKEAKING. 



to appointment, he found him surrounded by a team of 



Clumber spaniels. Colonel M , in some surprise at 



seeing no setters or pointers, remarked that he had ex- 

 pected some partridge shooting. "I know it," answered 

 the man, " and I hope to show you some sport." To 

 the inquiry why one of the spaniels was muzzled, the 

 keeper said that his master had threatened to shoot it 

 should it again give tongue, and, as it possessed a par- 

 ticularly fine nose, he the keeper was anxious not to 



lose it. They walked on, and soon the man told M 



to be prepared, as the spaniels were feathering. A covey 

 rose. The Colonel, who was a good shot, killed right 

 and left. All the spaniels dropped instantly. When he 

 was reloading the keeper begged him to say which of 



the dogs should retrieve the game. M pointed to 



a broad-headed dog lying in the middle, when the 

 keeper directed by name the spaniel so favored to be 

 off. It quickly fetched one of the birds. The keeper 



then asked M to choose some other dog to bring 



the remaining bird a runner. He did so, and the 

 animal he selected to act as retriever performed the 

 duty very cleverly; the rest of the team remaining 

 quite still, until its return. 



The Colonel had capital sport, killing nearly twenty 

 brace, and the dogs behaved beautifully throughout the 

 day. When afterwards relating the circumstances, he 

 observed that, although an old sportsman, he had seldom 

 been so gratified, as it was a novel scene to him, who 

 had not been accustomed to shoot over spaniels. 



