tered the brush before I could shoot. 
Bob came following after some 30 or 
40 feet behind the rabbit. A_ setter 
follows a rabbit so close that it is com- 
pelled to hole to escape. Bob seemed 
to understand this; he followed at a 
slow dog trot, just enough to keep the 
rabbit amused. I could hear his yelp 
going further and further, then circling 
round, then coming nearer and nearer. 
Presently the rabbit darted out of cover 
almost where he had before. This time 
I was ready for him and he joined the 
grouse; and the dog trotted off. In 
this little patch of underbrush Bob and 
I bagged four rabbits. 
OB was hunting along the hil'side 
above me. I was following along 
the bank of Rock Creek. Suddenly I saw 
three wild ducks on the further side of 
the creek; fine big fellows they were. 
I shot and killed one and wounded an- 
other. Bob came running to me at the 
_crack of the gun, stood a minute on the 
bank, then discovered the duck flutter- 
ing in the water. Without a word from 
me he jumped in, swam across, passed 
the dead duck (as it was safe), caught 
the wounded one, brought it to me, then 
went back for the dead one. 
Seeing me move off, he seemed to 
understand that his services were not 
longer needed and trotted into the 
woods without waiting an approving 
nod, petting or frisking about and low- 
ering his head as a setter is prone to 
do after he has made a successful point. 
Bob had too much business on hand to 
wait for any such nonsense. 
Soon I heard his now musical bark 
again. This time I found the dog ly- 
ing at the foot of an oak tree. I ex- 
amined the tree very carefully, but 
could see no grouse on it, and walked 
on, Bob reluctantly following. Pres- 
ently he lay down at the root of a 
hickory sapling and barked up it. 
There was no grouse on it. I started 
to leave. Bob barked more savagely. 
I turned back and examined the tree 
more carefully. This time I discov- 
ered a gray squirrel sticking to the 
trunk of the tree. Four squirrels were 
soon taken in this way. 
OB and I were on top of a little 
ridge. Suddenly I heard the fa- 
-miliar bark of a gray squirrel in the 
valley below us. I started toward it. 
Bob got right behind me and seemed 
to pick his steps for fear he would 
make a noise and scare the squirrel. 
' Presently I saw the squirrel in the top 
of a hickory tree far below us. Bob 
saw it at the same time. He darted past 
me down the hill. The squirrel began 
to jump from tree to tree. When I 
got down Bob was at least a dozen trees 
from the one on which I had first seen 
the squirrel, but the squirrel was on 
the tree he was under. Bob and I 
bagged thirteen squirrels in that piece 
of hickory timber. My last shell had 
been used on the thirteenth squirrel. It 
was approaching noon. We had made 
a satisfactory morning’s work—seven 
rutfed grouse, four rabbits, two ducks, 
thirteen gray squirrels. I felt very 
well satisfied as I shouldered my game 
—not a light load—and turned back to 
Rock Creek. 
When we got back to the place where 
I had left my rod I discovered that the 
line, instead of extending across the 
creek in the direction of the sunken log, 
now stretched far *down the creek. 
Taking hold of the rod I was agreeably 
surprised to find a 5-lb. pike on the end 
of the line. Landing the fish, I fixed 
on a new bait, threw out the line, and 
sat down on. the bank, as I was very 
tired. After resting a few minutes I 
thought I would look at the bait to see 
whether it was alive. 
My line was a good deal longer than 
my rod. I felt too indolent to reel it 
up, so I threw the rod back of me, 
caught the line in my hand, when splash 
went a pike that had been following it. 
He almost jumped between my feet in 
his eagerness to get it. I cast the bait 
into the water and I could see his big 
fan-like tail turn as he caught the lure 
and ran off with it. After 
a lively tussle I landed 
him, a fine fellow. I put 
on another bait, and al- 
most instantly another 
took it, which proved ex- 
actly the same size—a not 
uncommon thing in pike 
fishing. 
OB and I then had 
lunch. An hour’s rest 
and a smoke freshened me 
up considerably. There 
were some choice looking 
pools below me on the 
creek, and I concluded to 
go to the nearest and try 
it. The bass began strik- 
ing keenly. I wandered 
from pool to pool, grew in- 
terested in the fishing and 
wandered further than I 
intended, I was certainly 
a mile below were I had 
first caught the pike. But 
the temptation was enough to lead any 
one astray. I had a string of black 
bass, ranging from 2 lbs. to 4 lbs. each. 
But where was Bob? I had not seen 
him for a long time. In fact, I had 
not thovght of him any more than I 
had thought of the game and pike I 
had left on the creek bank. I hurriedly 
gathered up my bass and started back. 
When I came near the spot I saw the 
wandering through the woods, 

game and pike lying perfectly safe 
where I had left them, and by the side 
of them lay Bob. 
STOPPED and watched him a while. 
There seemed something noble in the 
faithfulness of that little black dog. 
He knew I had left them unprotected, 
and through all the hours of the after- 
noon he lay there and watched them. 
While I stood looking at him some pigs, 
ap- 
proach nearer then I suppose Bob 
thought they ought to. Instantly he 
darted out, drove them far over the 
hill, then returned to his charge. 
A few minutes work transferred 
game and fish to my buggy. It was 
sundown. I had one large chub bait 
left. It was just the bait to tempt a 
hungry pike. I had seen a very large 
pike the day before in a pool a short 
distance up the creek. Calling Bob 
after me I started for the pool. The 
sun had gone down when I reached it. 
It lay dark and gloomy looking in the 
midst of the woods. A fallen treetop 
lay in the midst of the pool; I slipped 
my bait in near this and dragged it 
along the top of the water. It had 
not gone five feet before the pike came 
with a rush that shot him 2 ft. in the 
air, the bait lying across his huge 
mouth. Down he plunged and shot up. 
He was large, he was 
angry, he was fierce. I 
was afraid to let out too 
much line, so started to 
run along the bank. As I 
did so my foot caught, my 
ankle twisted, and I fell 
heavily. I tried to get up, 
but could not. The pain 
was intense. I sat there 
and played that fish out, 
worked him to the bank 
and dragged him up on 
the grass, but it was the 
end of my fishing. 
My ankle swelled. I 
tried to get up but could 
not. My position was not 
an enviable one. Here I 
was in the midst of the 
woods; no house near me; 
possibly not one person in 
a week along here. Cer- 
tainly I would have to 
stay here all night. 
I tried to get up again. 
Again I fell. I tried to crawl. This 
gave me too much pain. 
OB had been with me all the time. 
Suddenly I missed him. I called 
and whistled, but no Bob came. 
I had been there possibly two hours, 
when I heard voices coming through 
(Continued on page 108) 
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