CH. XIIL] BLIND MAN AND TWEED SPANIEL. 225 



voice, &c. : whence comes their readier comprehension of his wishes 

 and orders often termed sagacity. 



385. When recently salmon-fishing on the upper part of the 

 Tweed, I occasionally met on its banks a totally blind man, and 

 who, in spite of this great disqualification, continued a keen and 

 successful trout-angler. He had been for some years entirely sight- 

 less, and was led about by a large brown Tweed-side spaniel, of 



whose intelligence wonderful stories are told. M r travelled 



much round the country ; and it is certain, for he would frequently 

 do so to show off the dog's obedience, that on his saying (the cord 

 being perfectly slack), " Hie off to the Holmes," or, " Hie off to 

 Melrose," &c., &c., the animal would start off in the right direction 

 without an instant's hesitation. Now, this Tweed spaniel was not 

 born with more brains than other Tweed spaniels, but he was 



M r's constant companion, and had, in consequence, acquired a 



singular facility of comprehending his orders, and doubtless from 

 great affection was very solicitous to please. 



386. Attend most carefully to the injunction not to 

 let your dog hunt out of sight. It is essential that you 

 do so. 



I once possessed a pointer who behaved admirably while he was 

 under my eye, but who, if he could cunningly contrive to get on the 

 other side of rising ground, would invariably, instead of pointing, 

 make a rush at any game he came across, determined, as my Irish 

 companion used to say, " to take his divarsion : " and it was most 

 curious to remark how immediately his pace would slacken, and 

 how promptly he would resume a cautious carriage, the moment he 

 perceived I again had the power of observing him. His proceedings 

 displayed so much sagacity, that though I was extremely vexed, I 

 could hardly find it in my heart to punish him as he deserved. 



387. Notwithstanding Beckford's capital story of the 

 hounds making a dinner of the old ram which his lord- 

 ship had left in their kennel to intimidate them, if your 

 dog be unhappily too fond of mutton or lamb of his own 

 killing, perhaps no better cure can be attempted, provided 

 you superintend the operation, than that of muzzling 

 him, and letting a strong ram give him a butting at the 

 time that you are administering the lash, and hallooing 

 out " Ware " or " Sheep." But, unfortunately, this too 

 often fails. 



388. If you do not succeed, you must hang or drown 



Q 



