FIKST LESSON IN AUTUMN CONTINUED. 581 



presume to speak, would doubtless, with a very wild 

 dog, be an advantageous substitute for the spike. You 

 could then employ a longer and slighter cord than usual, 

 and, on the man's getting hold of the end of it, be at 

 once free to head and awe the dog. Whenever you 

 had occasion to stand still, the man would, of course, 

 be as immovable as yourself. 



Your signals to him might be : 



The gun held up, " Get near the dog." 

 Your fist clenched, " Seize the rope." 

 Your fist shaken, " Jerk the cord." 

 Your hand spread open, " Let go the cord.'* 

 Or any signs you pleased, so that you understood each 

 other without the necessity of speaking. 



196. Should it ever be your misfortune to have to 

 correct in a dog evil habits caused by past mismanage- 

 ment, such an attendant, if an active, observant fellow, 

 could give you valuable assistance, for he sometimes 

 would be able to seize the cord immediately the dog 

 began " feathering," and generally would have hold of 

 it before you could have occasion to fire. But the fault, 

 most difficult to cure in an old dog is a bad habit of rang- 

 ing If, as a youngster, he has been permitted to beat 

 as his fancy dictated, and has not been instructed in look- 

 ing to the gun for orders, you will have great, very great 

 difficulty in reclaiming him. Probably he will have, 

 adopted a habit of running for a considerable distance up 

 wind, his experience having shown him that it is one 

 way of finding birds, but not having taught him that 



