74 



GUN'SHY DOGS, 



in that glance, then off he went, tail down and head 

 up, as if he had seen the verit-'.ble " bogie man." I 

 do not think that the scared beast had any precon- 

 ceived notion where to direct his steps, his sole object 

 being to get anywhere out of so dangerous a locality. 

 Some days afterwards the truant was found many 

 miles off from where he bid me so abrupt a good-bye. 

 If after this I took my gun from the rack, my 

 beauty was under the bed or sofa in an instant. The 

 dog was altogether too handsome, and, geneially speak- 

 ing, too intelligent to part with. Moreover, he was 

 the gift of as pretty a little " muffin '^ as could be found 

 on either side of uie Atlantic, so I resolved to be 

 patient, and leave no stone unturned to accomplish 

 my desired end. At that time I possessed a band- 

 box headed, blear-eyed, bad-tempered, and most 

 unsociable anJ anlovable old pointer. He had a 

 wonderful nose, and his endurance — if not hurried — 

 was marvellous. He never — well, seldom ever — 

 made a mistake, and, if such did occur, it was not 

 the dog's fault. I never knew a beast that seemed 

 to understand the importance of his avocation and 

 the necessity of performing it in an orthodox manner 

 as this pointer did. I almost think that if I had 

 made a succession of bad shots, Ponto would have 

 walked off home ; and that if I had attempted to 

 prevent him carrying out his resolution, he would 

 have reminded me that Nature had given him teeth 

 and brains, and a knowledge of how and when to use 

 them. 



The spaniel had a most holy dread of the pointer, 

 and was always upon the very best of good behaviour 

 when in his presence. On such occasions rowdiness 

 gave place to Sunday manners, and boisterous hilarity 

 to abject fawning. All these eccentricities and 

 peculiarities I noted among the details of my humble 

 home, so determined to turn them to account. The 

 spaniel I coupled to the pointer. At first there was 



