222 The Sporting Dog 



My impression is that the alertness, nervous en- 

 ergy, and quick intelHgence which make class in 

 one part of the country make it in another, and 

 that a high-class dog with a little experience is 

 high-class anywhere. I can say, at least, that 

 when nearly twenty years ago I introduced 

 Llewellins to the lower part of the Eastern shore 

 of Maryland, a practised amateur who got a very 

 fast young dog — for those days — became very 

 proud of the animal's ability to outpace the na- 

 tives and to find bevies ahead of other men's 

 favorites. 



It must be admitted that in the small and 

 patchy fields and thickets of the East, obedience 

 and caution are more exactingly required. The 

 West does, speaking generally, admire speed and 

 range, and the East lays stress upon biddableness. 

 I find that among the many persons who come to 

 me for information and advice this more or less 

 general contrast is manifested. During the writ- 

 ing of this chapter, a devoted amateur shot, a 

 prominent St. Louis physician, dropped in to 

 consult me about breeding a bitch. I told him 

 that the only dog I had at home was a handsome 

 youngster by Sport's Gath, which was promising, 

 but rather a shooting dog than a high-class per- 

 former. The doctor was much obliged, but con- 

 cluded to look further. About the same time a 

 gentleman in the East wrote me in regard to two 



