Smoker, presently, in his quiet, gentlemanly way, took hold of the stick, as the lady thought, to carry it. But no, Smoker walks back and deposits it in the porch, as much as to say, "None of that, when my master is away."
In my time, I have had many good pointers and setters.
I have no prejudice as to which, but pointers are more easy to break; but, then, in those northern latitudes they do not stand the cold so well as setters do.
In breeding, you may reckon that out of four puppies, you will not get more than two out of the four that turn out fairly well, and for dogs of exceptional intelligence not one in twenty; ay, in fifty.
Rap, who pointed my first Scotch grouse was, take him all in all, as good a pointer as I ever had.
Grace, a setter bitch that I worked at the same time as Rap, was charming in every way.
She was a puppy of the Rûg breed from North Wales. How I came by her I forget, and from her I bred many good dogs, but never anything of exceptional excellence.
The best setter I ever handled was Ben, an ivory coloured setter, a first cross between a Gordon and a Laverack.
He was perfect in his work, but a bit rank if the whip was spared.
He would go to the dead birds after they were down if he possibly could, that is, if he had the least licence granted to him.