CH. xn.] IMPORTANT AXIOM. 209 



They must act independently each for himself. More- 

 over, your firing over one should not induce the other 

 to " down charge," or in any way divert his attention 

 from his own birds. He ought to remain immoveable 

 as a statue. Some dogs, whose high courage has not 

 been damped by over-correction, will do this from their 

 own sagacity ; but to enable you to teach them to behave 

 thus steadily, game should be plentiful. When you are 

 lucky enough to observe both dogs pointing at the same 

 time, let your fellow-sportsman (or your attendant) flush 

 and fire at the birds found by the older dog, while 

 you remain stationary near the young one, quietly but 

 earnestly cautioning him to continue firm. When your 

 companion has reloaded and picked up his game (and 

 made the other dog "back"), let him join you and knock 

 over the bird at which your pupil is pointing. It will 

 not be long before he (your young dog) understands 

 what is required of him, if he has been practised (as 

 recommended in 274) not to "down charge" when 

 pointing unsprung birds. In short, it may be received 

 as an axiom, that nothing ought to make a dog voluntarily 

 relinquish a point so long as he winds birds; and nothing 

 but the wish to continue his point should make him neglect 

 the "down charge" the instant he hears the near report 

 of a gun. 



360. " Dove," (the setter spoken of in 102, who invariably stands 

 at her point,) on one occasion in the season of '50 dropped as usual 

 on her master's firing at some distance from her ; but, instead of 

 "seeking dead" as ordered when he had reloaded, she remained 

 immoveable at the " down charge," although repeatedly coaxed and 

 called to. The sportsman thought that birds must be near, and 

 after much perseverance, he succeeded in walking up a brace that 

 were lying close to her. We must allow that this was a prettily 

 conceived piece of caution on the part of Mrs. " Dove ; " but how 

 far more usefully would she have acted had she been taught the 

 inferiority of the " down charge " to the continued point, followed 

 by the " road " to successive birds. 



