116 AMERICAN GAME. 
“Take your own time—I am ready. At all events, I 
will say now that I never saw better-broke, or steadier 
dogs.” 
“ Now then, hold up, good lads,” cried Harry, waving 
his hand to the dogs with a low whistle, and walking up 
to them, he encouraged them, and cheered them, as he 
made them find each one of the four dead birds, and 
when found, let them scent and snuffle them as much as 
they chose, and even mouth them gently. After that, he 
laid them at a short distance before their noses, and cry- 
ing “ toho !” made,them stand and back, several times in 
succession. After this, he pocketed the birds, apologiz- 
ing to his friend, as he came up, for having kept him 
waiting. 
“No need for an apology, Harry,” said he; “on the 
contrary, [ am much obliged, for, like the dogs, I too 
have been taking my lesson.” 
“Well, forward, hold up lads!” and away they went 
again, the dogs gathering courage as they drew, and 
beating more boldly and carrying more head, as they 
ranged forward, but still working much slower, and 
more warily than they would havedone on quail. For 
a while they found nothing, for all the birds had scat- 
tered far and near, at the first disturbance of the feeding 
ground. After a while, however, at the edge of some 
tall flags in good springy feeding ground, Bob, who was 
a little to the right, in front of Charley, dropped from 
his canter into a slow trot, straightened his neck and 
