My First of September. 71 



she was both blind and deaf. She had a won- 

 derful nose, and once put on the scent of 

 anything, it was as safe as if roasting before 

 your kitchen fire ; but you had to be pretty 

 quick upon her with hare or rabbit, or she 

 would soon tear it to pieces. Anything in the 

 shape of vermin she would never let go of 

 as long as there was life in it, and, as Dandie 

 Dinmont said, would tackle " anything with a 

 hairy skin on't." The poor old bitch got so 

 completely worn out that a friendly charge of 

 shot sent her, as the Indians say, to the " happy 

 hunting grounds," where, if her spirit still lives, 

 the rats and other vermin have but a sorry 

 time of it. 



Now, let us go on to our ground, for I 

 am sure I have now gone off the track long 

 enough. Ben said we must make haste, for as 

 he came through the town he had seen old 

 Savage and his white setter just starting. 

 Savage was one of the largest landholders on 

 the common, having twelve acres; but of 

 course he went over the whole of it. He was 

 a very old man, much troubled with the rheu- 

 matics, but a fair shot of the long rail poking 

 stamp; but I don't think he troubled His 



