80 



for the chance of escape into cover, com- 

 mand yourself, and lend not your coun- 

 tenance, and still less your example, to the 

 unbridled licentiousness with which he may 

 rush forward to render by his gripe all 

 escape impossible. It is not by keeping 

 a firm restraint upon all such lawless dash- 

 ing at a bird before him, but by a slovenly 

 neglect, and the want of sufficient perse- 

 verance in the great primary lesson of 

 " footing out," as connected with " seek 

 dead," that a dog will have an extinguisher 

 put upon his resolution to retrieve, or that 

 he will ever incur the risk of sinking into 

 the worst of all possible defects, the for- 

 feiture of his game. I have already taken 

 occasion to observe, that the dog who hunts 

 his ground the truest, will always find the 

 most game ; and I would here add, that 

 the dog who approaches it when down, 

 under a skilful reserve, will in the end be 

 found most effectually to do his part of the 

 business in securing it. 



NEVER, in fine, let him perceive that the pos- 

 session of the game is your chief object 

 in the pursuit. Non quo, sed quomodo! 

 is a motto that will admirably apply botli 

 to the sportsman and his dog; and it 



