174 THE MOOR AND THE LOCH. 



please many masters, while he who was of a morose disposition 

 concentrated all his powers to find out the wishes of one. 



The sire of the large retriever I bought for a good price, as 

 he had the reputation of being a perfect dog. He had, how- 

 ever, been spoilt in breaking, was too rash and hasty, though 

 he had a keen nose and good will to use it. His mother be- 

 longed to one of my relations. She was a most valuable 

 retriever, and her son inherited all her good qualities, with 

 others in addition. 



Few lovers of shooting have been more careful than I to 

 secure good heather and stubble dogs ; but though sparing 

 neither trouble nor money in their behalf, only three have 

 belonged to me which I have considered first-rate, since I was 

 able to handle a gun with effect. During all those years, 

 dozens of excellent pointers and setters have been mine, but 

 some drawback always kept them from attaining the highest 

 rank in the dog line. 



Two of my famous trio were pointers, and the other a 

 black-and-tan setter. The former were chosen and reared from 

 the litter ; while the setter, as I have already mentioned, was 

 bought when two years old for 12. 



Although steady to point, back, and drop to shot the first 

 season, none of them showed their rare excellence till the 

 third, continuing to improve afterwards for some years. The 

 two pointers cost me more care and watchfulness than the 

 setter, which had the finest and freest temper, combined with 

 the greatest docility, of any dog ever hunted under my eye. 

 The pointers, however, after the fourth year, when thoroughly 

 " made," were rather superior to the setter. One of them lived 

 till his twelfth year, and, strange though it may seem, ranged 

 and found game more successfully than ever on his last open- 

 ing day of the moors ! I will venture to affirm that few 

 sportsmen in the kingdom can say as much for so aged and 

 hard-worked a dog. 



A dog of the first class should be equally good at all game 



