FIKST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. 573 



permit him to lift his game, it will be time enough to 

 dispense with his " pointing dead." I dwell upon this 

 subject because many excellent dogs, from not having 

 been properly taught to "point dead," often fail in 

 securing the produce of a successful shot, while, on the 

 contrary, with judiciously educated dogs it rarely hap- 

 pens that any of the slain or wounded are left on the 

 fielfl. Moreover, the protracted search and failure as 

 an instance see 217 occasions a lamentable loss of time. 

 Were a sportsman who shoots over dogs not well broken 

 to " point dead " or retrieve to calculate accurately, 

 watch in hand, he would, I think, be surprised to find 

 how many of his best shooting hours are wasted in 

 unprofitable searching for birds of the certainty of whose 

 untimely fate his dogs had probably long before fully 

 convinced themselves. 



182. As to the word "Dead," whether you choose to 

 continue using it immediately after loading, or, as I have 

 recommended xi. of 119 after a time omit it, and 

 merely let the signal to " heel " intimate that you have 

 killed, always make your dog go to you before you allow 

 him to seek for the fallen bird. 



183. Some may say, "As a dog generally sees a bird 

 fall, what is the use of calling him to you before you let 

 him seek ? and even if he does not see the bird, why 

 should any time be lost ? Why should not you and he 

 go as direct to it as you can ? " 



1 84. Provided you have no wish that the " finder " 

 see 295 rather than any of his companions, should be 



