SNIPE SBOOTING. 93 



arms. Take your seven one-fourth lb. 12 ga., load your 

 shells with three and one half dms. powder, — put three 

 black or pink edged-wads on the powder, one and one- 

 ■ eighth oz. No. 9 shot, with a card on top, and you will 

 have loads that will do their work, if you point your 

 gun right. Put your long rubber boots on when we go, 

 the lightest pair you have. 



" Well, good-bye. Be sure and be ready at eight in 

 the morning. Never mind lunch, I will take enough 

 for both, and furnish a dog too." 



" Here we are. Right on time, exactly eight. Come, 

 get in, Ned, and we will be off. There's your wife at 

 the door waving good-bye to you." 



" Why, Billie, old boy, what's this you've got here ! 

 Bless me ! Your retriever. Is he any good ? " 



" Please don't. He didn't cost any hundred dollars ; 

 his grandfather never made any record ; his father was 

 a setter, and his mother a spaniel ; he takes after his 

 mother in color and texture of hair, — fehe being liver 

 color, and very curly. I got him when a puppy six 

 weeks old, and trained him myself. What do you 

 think of him ? " 



" That's a fair question, and you are entitled to a 

 straight answer. I think of him about what the dog 

 said when he looked into the eyes of a cross-eyed c&;t. 

 ' You may be all right, but your looks are mighty de- 

 ceivin'.' But don't feel offended, Billie, at what I say, 

 the dog may be all right ; his looks are against him, 

 that's all." 



" It's all right, Ned, if the dog don't make you open 



