248 TEN YEARS OF GAME-KEEPING 



I was not so lucky with another dog, which I 

 bought chiefly in self-defence. He was a rather 

 leggy, harum-scarum-looking black spaniel, belong- 

 ing to a publican on the far edge of my beat, and 

 spent most of his time exploring my ground. It 

 was painfully evident to me that the brute had 

 a good nose. The nesting season was coming 

 on. I interviewed the publican, and he wanted 

 thirty shillings for the spaniel, which I refused 

 to give. A few days afterwards I got a message 

 that he would take twenty-five shillings. The 

 nesting season had begun : birds soon would be 

 sitting. I set off with a sovereign in my pocket, 

 and returned with the dog. By Jove, wasn't he 

 wild ! I put a lead on him, in spite of which, 

 when passing through a wood, he pranced about 

 and gave tongue violently at the mere prospect 

 before him. I sent him off to an officer who 

 had some rough shooting, and wanted a spaniel 

 asking thirty shillings. This sum was sent to me, 

 I heard afterwards, in a weak moment, on the 

 strength of the dog's appearance, and my state- 

 ment that he had a good nose and would retrieve. 

 A few months afterwards I had the pleasure of 

 hearing that the dog had given up his evil ways, 

 and was the best worker his new owner ever had 

 possessed, and that money could not buy him. 



Almost all my dog-dealing plums came by luck ; 

 whenever I had a dog or puppies to sell, it never 



