130 DOGS FOR THE MOORS. 



dogs, until just before the season begins, and consequently 

 must put up with inferior ones, in which case they are 

 forced to hunt three or four together, or have little chance 

 of finding game. And a most vexatious thing it is, after 

 all, to see these cross-bred ill-broke curs uniting their 

 efforts to annoy; one putting up birds, another finding 

 none, while a third contents himself with admiring the 

 feats of his companions ! " What's Bob doing?" " No- 

 thing." " What's Don doing?" "Helping Bob!!" 

 Aware of what he has to expect should he be unprovided, 

 the knowing man of the moors has always as many good 

 dogs as he can work himself, and never suffers them to be 

 hunted or shot over by another.* 



The purchaser, before taking the trouble to try a dog, 

 should make sure that he has a hard round foot, is well 

 set upon his legs, symmetrically though rather strongly 

 made ; but the great thing is the head. It ought to be 

 broad between the ears, which should hang closely down ; 

 a fall in below the eyes ; the nose rather long, and not 

 broad ; nostrils very soft and damp. If these points are 

 attended to, the dog will seldom have a very inferior 

 nose. The above remarks relate principally to pointers, 

 as I greatly prefer them to setters ; but if the sportsman 



* The only way to hunt two couple of dogs at the same time, without 

 risk of slacking their mettle, or otherwise spoiling them, is for each couple 

 to be commanded by a separate keeper, and at a sufficient distance apart to 

 prevent interference. The sportsman can thus move from one to the other, 

 as they find game. I, however, always prefer hunting my own dogs, and 

 never suffer them to be spoken to by any one until I have fired, when I 

 trust to my man to enforce the " down charge " without noise. 



