CHAP. XIV THE RETRIEVER 125 



witted, to understand not only the meaning of what he sees 

 going on, but also, frequently in the most wonderful manner, all 

 that is talked of. I have a favourite retriever, a black water- 

 spaniel, who for many years has lived in the house, and been 

 constantly with me ; he understands and notices everything 

 that is said, if it at all relates to himself or to the sporting plans 

 for the day : if at breakfast-time I say, without addressing the 

 dog himself, " Rover must stop at home to-day, I cannot take 

 him out," he never attempts to follow me ; if, on the contrary, 

 I say, however quietly, " I shall take Rover with me to-day," 

 the moment that breakfast is over he is all on the qui vive, 

 following me wherever I go, evidently aware that he is to be 

 allowed to accotnpany me. When left at home, he sits on the 

 step of the front door, looking out for my return, occasionally 

 howling and barking in an ill-tempered kind of voice ; his great 

 delight is going with me when I hunt the woods for roe and deer. 

 I had some covers about five miles from the house, where we 

 were accustomed to look for roe : we frequently made our plans 

 over night while the dog was in the room. One day, for some 

 reason, I did not take him : in consequence of this, invariably 

 when he heard us at night forming our plan to beat the woods. 

 Rover started alone very early in the morning, and met us up 

 there. He always went to the cottage where we assembled, 

 and sitting on a hillock in front of it, which commanded a view 

 of the road by which we came, waited for us : when he saw us 

 coming, he met us with a peculiar kind of grin on his face, ex- 

 pressing, as well as words could, his half doubt of being well 

 received, in consequence of his having come without permission : 

 the moment he saw that I was not angry with him, he threw 

 off all his affectation of shyness, and barked and jumped upon 

 me with the most grateful delight. 



As he was very clever at finding deer, I often sent him with 

 the beaters or hounds to assist, and he always plainly asked me 

 on starting, whether he was to go with me to the pass, or to 

 accompany the men. In the latter case, though a very ex- 

 clusive dog in his company at other times, he would go with 

 any one of the beaters, although a stranger to him, whom I 

 told him to accompany, and he would look to that one man 

 for orders as long as he was with him. I never lost a wounded 

 roe when he was out, for once on the track he would stick to it, 



