14 A Sportsman at Large 



hand devised many an enticing delicacy for my especial 

 benefit ; moreover, when in trouble or distress, I invariably 

 fled to Mary's arms and wept out my sorrows on her gaunt 

 bosom. So to Mary I went with my starlings and my wood 

 pigeon, and in due course they were served up for my delecta- 

 tion. The former in a pie (rather bitter in flavour) and the 

 latter made into a tasty salmi. 



Now I must hark back a bit. 



My love of dogs was, to a certain extent, an inborn trait ; 

 owing its origin to the laws of heredity ; for The Dads was sure 

 possessed of this amiable idiosyncrasy. 



The first dog I ever recognized as such was a cherished 

 animal belonging to my parent, which he averred was a Clumber 

 spaniel, but which would have been hardly so rated by anyone 

 possessing even the most elementary knowledge of the breed. 



His name was Dash. I have no knowledge of the days 

 of his youth, but I remember him as a rather plethoric and 

 blear-eyed specimen of the canine race. According to his 

 doting master, he had been a marvel on any and every species 

 of game in his time, which was not mine ! He was a kindly 

 soul enough, but by way of testing his amiability I loosed 

 off a gin-trap, teeth downwards, on the small of his back, 

 whereupon he proceeded to bite me good and hard ! 



With loud lamentations and according to custom, I fled 

 to the arms of Old Mary and sobbed out my tale of woe. 

 The tragic tale was conveyed to Grannie, and she, in turn, 

 recited it to her son, conjuring him to have the offensive 

 Dash executed there and then. The Dads was adamant, 

 however, and was callous enough to declare that my lesion 

 served me right. When I had thought it well over, I was 

 magnanimous enough to agree, for my affection for the old 

 dog was real enough. 



But a compromise was arrived at. Dash was to be awarded 

 C.B., chained to a kennel in the yard. 



Then a feud arose between him and an aggressive old 

 Cochin cock, lord of a harem of half-a-dozen barn-door hens. 

 This vulgar bird used to marshal his seraglio, and descend 

 on Dash's food. When the latter made a sortie from his 

 entrenched position, with blood-curdling growls and gnashing 



