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carried at his back ; and mounting it on his left 

 arm, presented towards the bird, he begins a 

 circuit ; which, with as great a regularity, and 

 as quick a pace, as the nature of the ground 

 will possibly admit, he completes around the 

 spot; continuing his rate, but contracting the 

 circle. The vulgar idea is, that there is magic 

 in this circle ; which, when completed, deprives 

 the bird of the power to rise. Now the truth 

 is, the cock, having taken alarm on finding him- 

 self beset, has his eyes all around; and per- 

 ceiving, as it flits along, this formidable vision 

 of the stalkinghorse, presenting itself at every 

 avenue (for a cock always looks to an avenue 

 for his escape), and threatening him in every 

 direction, he lies fixed under the magical 

 impression of fear ; or rather, perhaps, although 

 alarmed by the appearance, yet not apprehend- 

 ing any direct hostility to himself, whilst it con- 

 tinues to move onward, he skulks close, as the 

 instinctive means of escaping notice; until, 

 approaching him in narrower circles, the lynx- 

 eyed director of it descries him on the ground, 

 and levelling a short gun through a hole in the 

 shield, lays him dead before the dog's nose. 

 Let us now pause, to consider the reason of 

 the extraordinary stanchness, which I have 

 never seen equalled, of these poachers' dogs. 

 In the first place, the dog has not his spirits 



