DOGS FOR THE GUN. 165 



it is a very good sign ; if, on the contrary, he keeps pottering 

 about, trying first one side, then another, with his nose some- 

 times close upon the ground, even though at last he comes to 

 a handsome point, I should think it most probable that he is 

 a badly-bred, inferior animal. 



Of all dogs, the worst for the moors is what is called a 

 near ranger. Such flinchers may do well enough in preserved 

 partridge ground ; but on the steep hillside it is quite sicken- 

 ing to see their everlasting canter, fifteen or twenty yards on 

 each side. The dog-breaker may say that, although the dog 

 ranges near, he is working as hard as his more high-mettled 

 competitor. For my own part, I never saw one travel in 

 that way that either worked so hard, kept it up so well, or 

 found half so much game as a free-hunting dog. 



Let your pointers be really good, and a couple will then be 

 quite enough to hunt at a time ; more only encumber. If 

 well broke, they will not pass over the near game ; and when 

 birds are scattered (the only time when the near-ranging pot- 

 terers are in their element), they will find them one by one, 

 with equal certainty and greater despatch. Many gentlemen, 

 however, take no trouble about procuring good 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 they have little chance of finding much 

 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 companion ! 

 " What's Bob doing ? " " Nothing." " What's Dan 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. 1 



1 The only way to hunt two couples of dogs at the same time, without risk of 

 slacking their mettle, or otherwise spoiling them, is for each couple to be com- 



