THE MASTER AND TEN NY. 



181 



summons, and the crackling of the newly 

 fallen leaves told of a chase. 

 "Rabbit?" was the Master's query. 

 "Guess so," responded Jim. 

 Then they took up their guns and 

 trudged on toward Otts' field, a mile dis- 

 tant, where the Master believed quails of 

 a quieter disposition could be found. 



When Tenny returned from the chase 

 he headed the procession, and little birds 

 that culled seeds from wayside weeds took 

 flight and were scattered to the 4 winds. 



The field was entered at the lower end, 

 where the soil had been tilled for corn. 

 A flock of crows were seeking stray ker- 

 nels. They flapped idly to neighoring 

 trees and did sentinel duty, calling "Caw, 

 caw, caw," until the danger passed. 



Ranging through the rye stubble in the 

 upper field, Tenny suddenly wheeled 

 about, hesitated and gave signs that sent 

 a thrill through the Master's veins. Ten- 

 ny heeded not warning calls, but sped 

 along the scent as fast as his nose would 

 guide and his legs carry him. A good 100 

 yards away he dashed straight into the 

 covey, scattering the birds to all points of 

 the compass and nearly catching one with 

 his teeth as it left the ground beneath his 

 nose. 



A voice from the hedge was wafted 

 across the field in the clear morning air, 

 "Give that cur a charge of shot!" 

 "I recognize your ear marks," shouted 

 the Master; "your cowardly advice im- 

 plies loss of a ground shot." 



They walked to the hedge and passed 

 the wooded slope. There the Master said, 

 "I would tie Tenny to one of these 

 trees if it was possible to return this way." 

 Tenny was then proving his bird finding 

 ability by causing a distant whirr of wings. 

 The 2 and the dog emerged from the 

 woods and descended into an open. A 

 small brook coursed through the green, 

 and beside it they seated themselves on a 

 mossy mound and quenched their thirst. 

 Great bunches of catbrier were scattered 

 here and there, and luxuriant grass car- 

 peted the aisles formed by the patches of 

 thorns. 



Tenny, satisfied with his chase, came 

 gamboling down the brook and, drop- 

 ping on the knoll, nested his head on 

 the Master's knees. The Master said, 



"I love dogs; all are as the Creator 

 made them. I would as quickly feed a 

 mongrel as a thoroughbred. When an 

 animal falters or fails I hold it is the fault 

 of its trainer, and I am satisfied to settle 

 the matter with the man at the first op- 

 portunity" 



A screech owl, perched on a low pine 

 branch, with a half devoured field mouse 



in his claws, blinked and twisted his neck 

 as he watched the trio disappear down the 

 course of the brook. They crossed a bog 

 by stepping on the thick masses of ferns 

 and grass that formed about the roots of 

 spice bushes, and gained a field in which 

 stood a deserted house. Then their foot- 

 steps led them to a caved-in cistern, from 

 which they rescued a nearly famished 

 hare. 



Tenny was called and tied to a fence 

 post, and what was left of bunny was 

 taken to a place of safety. A look from its 

 great brown eyes repaid the men for their 

 trouble. Going thence, with the discon- 

 tented Tenny at the end of a cord, they 

 went along the road toward the West. A 

 clay bank marks the place where the dog 

 was given his freedom. Beyond the bank 

 they entered the scrub oaks at their left, 

 the Master several yards in the rear. 

 There was a sudden whirr of wings, and 

 in an instant Jim dropped flat on the 

 ground. He had looked straight down 

 the barrels of the Master's gun and imag- 

 ined he saw the cardboard wads growing 

 larger and larger. But he was mistaken. 

 The Master had taken no chances. Ten- 

 ny, coming down wind, had run the birds 

 between the hunters. 



Cautiously they watched for the scat- 

 tered birds, but in vain; they had taken 

 refuge in an impenetrable swamp. An ir- 

 regular circle of pines that towered high 

 above the dwarf oaks attracted the atten- 

 tion of the hunters. There they found a 

 level plot of ground carpeted with dry pine 

 needles. Guns were set down against one 

 of the pines, and, spreading napkins, the 

 men sat themselves down and appeased 

 their hunger, not forgetting to give Tenny 

 his share. 



Pipes were lighted and the fragrant 

 gray smoke was curling upward when 

 Tenny suddenly sprang to his feet and 

 away sailed a grouse that had walked into 

 the opening. 



"I believe that fellow would have come 

 and picked up these crumbs," said the 

 Master, as he folded away the napkins in 

 the empty game bag. 



Then they worked their way out of the 

 woods to the road and turned toward the 

 station. Although no flannel had passed 

 through the gun barrels they were as 

 glossy as when removed from their cases. 

 Yet the walk through the woods had been 

 a health giving exercise, and the hunters 

 went homeward with a healthy, ruddy 

 glow on their faces. 



Tenny, a few years later, went on a 

 hunting trip to Virginia; but it is believed 

 that some other dog roamed the home 

 woods with the Master and his gun. 



