274 The Sporting Dog 



right." Eastern Shoremen used to rebuke pre- 

 ciseness by cutting off their " g's " as well as their 

 "r's." 



The dogs were called, and the judge looked at 

 them approvingly as they stood waiting for orders. 



" If all the huntin' dogs did as much credit to 

 their raisin' as Eddy's, I couldn't have the heart 

 to •keep 'em off the place, I reckon, and I wouldn't 

 have a bird or a rabbit left. But I won't stand 

 these fellows who come prowlin' around, startin' 

 the sheep to runnin' and the hens to cacklin,' and 

 the whole farm to makin' noises. I had an egg- 

 suckin' darky cur killed no longer back than last 

 week. That Billy Walker is the only one of these 

 white men who don't pay their taxes and want to 

 use other men's land that makes me sorry I don't 

 let him come. He can school a dog, I'll say that. 

 He's got a pair of 'beadles,' as he calls 'em, for 

 rabbits, and a little rat-tailed ' pinter ' gip for birds. 

 I don't know how he does it, but he's made the 

 beagles hunt without yelping. They'll chase rab- 

 bits within a hundred yards of your house and 

 you'd never know it. Of course, Billy don't shoot 

 too close to a house when he isn't wanted, but he 

 can crack away with his little gun in a back field 

 or the woods and nobody knows but it's somebody 

 who's got business. He takes his ' beadles ' and 

 his ' pinter ' out together, and when he comes to a 

 rabbit place the gip just walks along at his heels 



