200 RETRIEVING WOUNDED HARE. [CH. xn. 



cordon, obtained many shots ; but the principal slaughter was 

 reserved for the guns previously posted on the top. There is, how- 

 ever, little sport or fun in such stationary, wholesale butchery, 

 beyond the excitement of competition, and not being able to load 

 fast enough. The doomed animals, being solely attentive to the 

 movements of their assailants below, come trooping upwards, and 

 , are mostly knocked over whilst sitting on their haunches, listening 

 5 to the unusual sounds made by the approaching beaters. 



339. Killing a sitting hare to your dog's point will 

 wonderfully steady him from chasing ; but do not fire 

 until he has remained stanch for a considerable time. 

 This will show him that puss is far more likely to be 

 bagged by your firing, than by his pursuing. 



340. For the same object, I mean, to make your 

 young dog stanch, I would recommend your killing a 

 few birds on the ground to his point, were it not that 

 you rarely have the opportunity. 



341. When you have made your dog perfectly steady 

 from chasing, you may (supposing you have no retriever 

 at hand), naturally enough, inquire how you are to 

 teach him to follow any hare you may be so unlucky 

 as merely to wound. I acknowledge that the task is 

 difficult. I would say, at once resolve to give up every 

 wounded hare during his first season.* The following 

 year, provided you find that he remains quite steady, on 

 your wounding an unfortunate wretch, encourage your 

 dog to pursue it by running yourself after it. When he 

 gets hold of it, check him if he mauls it, and take it 

 from him as quickly as possible. As I cannot suppose 

 that you are anxious to slaughter every hare you see, 

 let the next two or three go off without a shot. This 

 forbearance will re-steady him, and after a while his 

 own sagacity and nose (545) will show him that the 



* This appears extremely cruel; would not make this sacrifice, at 



remember, however, that 1 en- least " only to lire at those which 



treated you to abstain entirely you were likely to kill outright " 



from shooting hares ; but if you (332). 



