CH. XVII.] 



ONLY ONE TO RETRIEVE. 



297 



of turnips. After the " down charge," a pointer bitch accustomed 

 to retrieve, was sent to fetch him. The moment she approached 

 the bird, up he got, apparently as strong as ever, and flew over some 

 rising ground, but whither, I had no idea, further than suspecting 

 that he was making for a distant cover on forbidden ground. I, 

 therefore, at once gave him up as lost. The dog, however, was 

 more sanguine, for, to my great surprise, off she started in pursuit, 

 clearly imagining it was quite a mistake of the pheasant's. I soon 

 lost sight of her, but, to my great gratification, I observed her, some 

 little time afterwards, topping the hillock with the bird in her 

 mouth. If she had been young, her chase after the pheasant might 

 only have shown sad unsteadiness and wildness ; but as she was 

 a stanch sober old lady, it manifestly evinced nothing but, it 

 will be safest to say, much intelligence and discrimination, lest 

 you cavil at the words reason or reflection. I must own I should 

 not. 



540. You need hardly be cautioned not to let more 

 than one dog retrieve the same bird. "With more dogs 



" With more dogs than one the bird would, almost to a certainty, be torn." 



than one the bird would, almost to a certainty, be torn r 

 and if a dog once becomes sensible of the enjoyment he 



