THE REFERENDUM 



283 



unfortunates. I heard a man say the judge 

 was making a pretty stiff trial of it, and that 

 the winning dog must show exceptional 

 points to make good. Whether it was my 

 youth, my ego, or love for my master which 

 held me steady I can't say, but I felt like 

 a veteran. And then my own name was 

 called. 



A professional trainer handled Gentleman 

 Jim, but it was my dear master's hand which 

 held me in leash and cast me loose at the 

 word. My contemporary appeared possessed 

 of a preconceived notion that in me he had 

 an unworthy opponent — he was one of the 

 ill-mannered dogs to laugh at my leg— and 

 took his time getting away. By the memory 

 of my blood sire and dam, I never knew 

 what life was until the snaffle clicked and 

 I found myself free ! My blood ran through 

 me giddily. I felt that I could run 'round 

 the earth in four minutes, or clear those 

 distant snow-capped mountain peaks at a 

 bound ! There is only one time in the life 

 of a field-trial dog when he experiences that 

 feeling. 



Once, when within visionary range, I sized 

 up Gentleman Jim, concluding that he ran 

 very ordinarily. Again, after pottering about 

 considerably, he turned in to his handler. 

 As for myself I worked hard, though for a 

 time to no avail. Just at the time I began 

 to conclude there were no birds in the vi- 

 cinity strong sign struck my nostrils, but in 

 the anxiety of the moment I made an ex- 

 cusable flush. This incident only served to 

 spur me on to retrieve myself, and away I 

 went on a good, though unproductive, cast. 

 When we were called in my master threw 

 his arms about me, tickled nearly to death, 

 saying that the judge had carried me over 

 into the second series because honors were 

 pretty evenly divided. I squinted out of one 

 corner of my eye at those sportsmen who 

 poked fun at me when a puppy, having the 

 exquisite pleasure of seeing them openly 

 surprised. 



When released for the second series I 

 felt positive it would prove the final trial — 

 would determine Gentleman Jim's superi- 

 ority or mine. I could see from the way he 

 pulled himself together that he, too, thought 

 the supreme moment was at hand, though in 

 his cocky mind there was no uncertainty as 

 to where the superiority would rest. 



Gentleman Jim started away strong, with 

 a showy ranging and stylish way. I didn't 

 see him again for some time, nor did I give 

 him a passing thought, because I settled 

 down to work for my master's reputation 

 and for the honor of the kennels of Lle- 

 wellin. 



I was doing some fast, wide ranging go- 

 ing down-wind when all at once I caught a 

 strong scent which halted and petrified me. 

 I tingled all over with excitement; my neck 

 distended in a rigid streak; my tail shot up 

 straight and stiff as a lightning rod, and 



each bristle on my back seemed an electric 

 needle. I knew I was pointing a bevy find! 

 O, the glory of that moment! The pride, 

 the fullness of it! Again and again wave^ 

 of intense 'emotion charged back and forth 

 through my body! O, those heavenly vi- 

 brations ! My muscles became swollen into 

 hard knots; I felt alive with a great vitality 

 capable of generating more than enough 

 energy to set all dogdom quivering as 1 

 quivered ! Some little distance dead ahead 

 was Gentleman Jim, who clearly saw my 

 point, but neglected to back me, showing, by 

 his refusal to honor my point, a jealousy un- 

 worthy of his English ancestry. I may have 

 stood there an hour, an age, a second. I 

 was oblivious to time, ignorant of the ap- 

 proaching handlers and my beloved master, 

 until, as they pressed too close, the cove\ 

 arose with a great whirring of wings and I 

 was forced to relax my blissful vigil. 



I scored two more singles and another 

 bevy point. In this last find Gentleman Jim 

 committed an unpardonable offense. He was 

 working quite near me when I settled into 

 point, and, with a low, currish growl of 

 jealousy, he rushed in and flushed my find. 



But what need of further details? I won 

 the championship of the All-Age stake, won 

 it hands down, the men told me, from that 

 cocky dog, Gentleman Jim, who, by his sulk- 

 ing when he heard the judge's decision, fur- 

 ther belied his name. It makes me smile 

 even at this late day when I recall how my 

 brothers and sisters and some of those im- 

 polite dogs fawned on me, saying they al- 

 ways knew I possessed the points of a field- 

 trial winner. But I was perfectly happy and 

 proud when my master clapped me on the 

 back and said : 



"I knew you'd make good, old man !" 



ECHOES. 



BY CHARLES HENRY CHESLEY. 



The hills reverberate each loud heigh-ho; 

 The far fir-woods call back with spirit 

 voice ; 

 Dawn ushers in some song of joy, and lo ! 

 The twilight echoes say: "Rejoice, re- 

 joice." 



Lilt of the nightingale in yon deep fen, 



Boom of the heron in the meadow-land, 

 Low warble in the hawthorn where the 

 wren 

 Hath hid her nest secure from prying hand. 



Heart-beats of welcome from a thousand 

 hills, 

 The thunder-peal along the mountain 

 dome, 

 Sweet murmurings among the crystal rills 

 And all one voice re-echoing: "Come 

 home." 



