CH. iv.] MR. K G'S "BEX." 71 



charge/' rather lose any bird, however valuable, so long 

 as your retriever remains young, than put him on the 

 " foot " a second before you have reloaded. Undoubtedly 

 it ought to be taught to every dog broken for sale, as the 

 purchaser can always dispense with it should he judge 

 it unnecessary : it can soon be untaught. It is clear 

 that not "quitting heel" until ordered, is tantamount 

 to the regular " down charge," but I think the last is the 

 easiest to enforce constantly. It is the more decided 

 step. 



121. Mr. K- -g (mentioned in 231) had a famous retriever 

 whose build, close curly hair, and aquatic propensities, showed his 

 close affinity to the water spaniel, though doubtless there was some 

 strain of the Landsman. He retrieved with singular zeal and per- 

 tinacity. Indeed his superiority over all competitors in his neigh- 

 bourhood, was so generally admitted, that his master was hardly 

 ever asked to shoot at any place, without a special invitation being 

 sent to " Ben." When beating a cover, there was a constant cafl 

 for " Ben." No merely winged pheasant fell to the ground, and no 

 hare went off wounded but there was heard, " Ben, Ben." On one 



occasion, when K g was posted at the extremity of the line, the 



dog was called away so often that his master got annoyed, and 

 declared that the animal should attend to no one but himself. Soon 

 there was a double shot, and, of course, the usual vociferations for 

 " Ben," but he was ordered to keep close. Louder and louder were 

 the cries for u Ben," but all in vain, he obediently followed only 

 his master's orders. At length when the cover was beaten through, 



K g inquired into the cause of the hubbub. Young B k 



told him, in no kind humour, that his churlishness in retaining the 



dog had lost them a fine hare. " If," said K g, " you are certain 



you wounded it, and can put me on the exact spot where it was 

 when you fired, I will bet you 5 that 'Ben' shall find her." 



B k observed that he knew perfectly the precise place, having 



carefully marked it with a stick, but added, that he much doubted 

 the possibility of the dog's picking up the scent, as more than half 



an hour had since elapsed. K g, however, stuck to his offer. 



They went back and found some pile, which proved that the hare 

 had been struck. The dog was put on the trail. He at once took 

 it, but was so long away, (perhaps twenty minutes,) that they 

 thought it best to search for him. They found him almost imme- 

 diately, lying down with the hare alongside of him. His tongue 

 was hanging out of his mouth, and he showed other symptoms of 

 great distress. Evidently he had brought the hare from a con- 

 siderable distance. 



