182 PERSEVERE IN SEEKING. [CH. XL 



distinguish the " heel " from the " toe/' and how to push 

 an old cock-grouse, or to flush a pheasant running 

 through cover, or the red-legged, I was nearly saying, 

 the everlasting-legged partridge;* and, indeed, generally, 

 how to draw upon his birds, and with confidence lead 

 you to a shot when they are upon the move and running 

 down wind. (See end of 115 ; and for further direc- 

 tions, and for " seeking dead " with two dogs, look at 

 544). The heavy Spanish pointer, from his plodding- 

 perseverance and great olfactory powers, was an excel- 

 lent hand at retrieving a slightly injured bird on a 

 broiling, bad scenting day. 



311. When I advised you (266) to let the dog "have 

 plenty of time to make out the bird," I spoke from per- 

 sonal experience, and from a vivid recollection of errors 

 committed in my novitiate. A young hand is too apt 

 to imagine that every bird which falls to his gun is 

 killed outright, and lying dead on the spot where it fell. 

 He will, therefore, often impatiently, and most inju- 

 diciously, call away the dog who, at a little distance, 

 may have hit-off the trail of the winged bird, and be 

 " footing " it beautifully. 



312. If in these lessons you should fail in obtaining one 

 or two wounded birds, though it might not be a matter of 

 any moment to yourself personally, it would be extremely 

 vexatious on the dog's account, because, in this early 

 stage of his education, it would tend to discourage him. 

 The feeling which you must anxiously foster in him is 

 this, that after the word "Find"t the search must never 



* The speed with which one of t The force of the word "Dead" 



these extremely beautiful, but in (preceding the command "Find") 



every other respect far, far in- that joyous, exciting note of 



ferior partridges will run, when triumph ought never to be les- 



only slightly wounded, is quite sened by being employed, as I 



marvellous. have heard it, to stimulate a dog 



