THE spobtsman's vade mecum. 39 



your pointers and setters. " Down," " Hold up," " Toho." 

 Holding up your band open means " down," or " Toho," 

 wliere another dog is pointing. A whistle solus to come in 

 " to heel" — that word for them to get liehind you ; a whistle 

 and a wave of the hand to the right for them to quarter 

 that way ; ditto whistle and wave to the left to quarter to the 

 left. Avoid shouting as much as possible. Nothing is more 

 disgusting than to be bawling all the time. If your dog 

 don't heed your whistle, get him to heel as fast and as quietly 

 as possible, and administer a little strap, whistling to them 

 sharply to impress it on their mind. Never pass by a single 

 fault without either rating or flogging. Always make your 

 dogs point a dead bird before retrieving it; and nothing is 

 more insane than to loo on your dogs, after a wing-tipped 

 bird. Hunt it quietly and deliberately. I know it is difficult 

 to restrain yourself sometimes. How much more difficult, 

 then, to restrain your dogs. Far better to lose a bird, a 

 thing I detest doing, than run the chance of spoiling a young 

 dog. Never take a liberty with him, however you may 

 do so with an old one, though even he can and will be made 

 unsteady, by letting him chase or have his own way. One 

 thing leads to another. I thought I had got through, but 

 methinks it is as well to state the best plan to find a dead 

 bird in cover, or out also, for that matter. Walk as nearly 

 as possible to where you fancy the bird fell ; there stand, nor 

 move a step, making the dogs circle round you till they find 

 it. Practise them at this as much as any other part of their 

 education, calling them constantly back if they move off; 

 Should you find a dog going off) notice the direction, but call 



