256 TEN YEARS OF GAME-KEEPING 



seeing no shaking, or snarling, or worrying just 

 a floundering rush, and the rat's tail and snout 

 would be seen on either side of her great jaws. 

 More than once I have known this old dog to 

 swallow a moderate-sized rat alive, taking it coming 

 to her much as a trout takes a fly plop ! 



I had a rough-haired fox-terrier, who always was 

 ready to make friends with anyone ; but whenever 

 I was waiting out of sight to see who passed a 

 certain way, she would give a low, indescribably 

 surly growl, as a timely hint for me to be on the 

 lookout. A retriever of ordinary working ability, 

 if I had my gun, and showed signs of being in 

 pursuit of game, would scratch at my gaiters when 

 she saw game that she thought I did not. And 

 she was able to tell not only whether a hare had 

 been hit or not, but whether it had been hit 

 enough to render its capture possible. If I shot 

 at a hare, and felt certain that I must have hit 

 it, no urging in the world would make her try 

 for it if she thought otherwise. On the other 

 hand, nothing short of physical restraint would 

 stop her from giving chase to a hare that ap- 

 parently was untouched, if she thought differently. 

 She seemed to be able to tell the state of a 

 wounded hare after taking its line for a few 

 yards. For if she went on, she never came 

 back without her hare. By the way, when you 

 have a dog that will persist in chasing ground 



