A REST BEYOND “HALF-WAY HOUSE.” ANECDOTES OF DOGS ON SERVICE AT HOME.
[393]. A Halt sounded; present Position considered; Refinements or extra Accomplishments easily taught.—[394]. Excellent Snipe-shot who never used Dog.—[395]. Dog employed by another.—[398]. Which Sportsman had the best of it.—[399]. Squire O——n’s and Mr. C——d’s Match.—[396]. Snipe killed off.—[397]. Woodcocks become attached to undisturbed Covers; Mr. S——t’s.—[400]. Partridges cut off from Place of Refuge.—[401]. Turnip-Field ridden round.—[402]. After Wind and Rain, hunt driest places; late in season, beat uncultivated lands.—[403]. In hot weather, give marked birds time to run.—[404]. Advantage of killing Old Birds; protects young Breeders.—[405] to [407]. Old Hen-Pheasants shot: case in point; in Note, Pheasants reared under barn-door hen require meat; so do Fowls. Cantelo’s method. Pheasantries, Mr. Knox. (See [Appendix]). Oak-bark a tonic. Cross with China Pheasant.—[408]. Sportsmen urged to break in their own Dogs.—[409]. Shooting conducive to Health.—[410], [411]. Mr. W——n and the old crippled Scotch Sportsman.—[412]. Instructing Dogs improves temper; not an ungentlemanly recreation.—[413]. “Beckford’s” opinion.—[414]. “Munito” selecting cards.—[415]. Shepherds’ Dogs in France.—[416]. Collie Dogs.—[417]. “Fairy” ringing bell.—[418], [419]. “Médor’s” fetching house-keys. Installed as their keeper.—[420]. “Sultan’s” keeping the key in his larder.—[421]. Mr. A——n’s “Taffy” knowing by name every member of family.—[422]. “Taffy” proves himself a first-rate Watch-Dog.—[423]. “Taffy” understands why he is borrowed.—[424]. “Taffy” an able Poacher.—[425]. “Taffy” being insulted bides his time to avenge the affront.—[426]. “Taffy” “turns the tables” upon workman who tries to impose upon him.—[427]. “Taffy” purloins for his master when ordered.—[428]. “Taffy” betrayed into momentary weakness purloins for himself.—[429]. “Taffy’s” birth and education revealed; but his parentage a mystery.—[430]. “Taffy’s” dam shipwrecked on the Needles.—[431]. Jesse’s opinion of Dogs; in Note, Lord Brougham’s—cunning of Fox—of Dog—of Monkey.—[432]. Exhibition of jealousy.—[433]. Lost Child fed by Dog.—[434]. “Philax” and “Brac” playing Dominos.—[435] to [441]. Showman’s Dogs in Paris. Tricks with Cards and Numbers. Fortune-telling. Playing Dominos.—[442]. How assisted by Showman.—[443]. Our attention to be confined to Sporting Dogs.
393. We have now arrived at a good halting-station, far beyond the half-way house; for any dog educated as I have described may fairly be considered well broken. Shall we here part company, or will you proceed with me to what I termed “refinements” in breaking? I did so, as I mentioned at the time, in deference to general opinion, for many would call it superfluous breaking. It may be—but the additional excellence is easily attainable by perseverance in the system which I have detailed, and but little extension of it. Why then should we not strive to reach it? It must, however, be granted that so finished an education is not absolutely necessary, for many killing dogs never attain it: indeed, many good sportsmen have never witnessed it. And this is probably the reason why such a number abjure the aid of a dog in snipe-shooting.
REFINEMENTS.—SNIPE SHOT.
394. Years ago, when I was in County Wexford, I knew, by sight, a capital snipe-shot, though he constantly wore spectacles, who loathed the idea of letting a dog accompany him. This he would not have done, had he known to what perfection the animal could be brought. But certainly our spectacled friend had less occasion for canine assistance than any man I ever saw. He knew every rushy spot for miles around. If there was a snipe in a field, he would point to within a few feet where it was lying. He walked very fast; was indefatigable; without waiting for loading picked up every bird the moment it was knocked over; kept relays of ammunition at several farm-houses; and nearly always came home with his capacious pockets (for he carried no bag) well filled. I heard an anecdote of him, more in praise of the correctness of his eye than the make of his leg, that on one occasion, after he had stuffed his pockets full of snipe, he proceeded actually to cram more birds into the tops of his boots.
395. An officer whom I knew well in Canada came for a few days to Isle Aux Noix. He paddled himself and a favourite dog to the opposite shore. The dog made nineteen separate points at snipe—of which my friend bagged seventeen,—and he thinks he did not see above three more birds. He admits that the day was hot,[76] and that in consequence the snipe lay well; but he certainly would not have obtained so many shots without the assistance of his intelligent companion. He was, however, beautifully broken. I do not suppose that my friend had once occasion to use his voice. And the sagacious animal would creep across wind as stealthily as a cat on the right hand being slightly raised, as described in [xii]. of 141.
396. My friend’s sport caused a laugh in the little garrison at the expense of its Fort Adjutant, by no means a first-rate shot, who complained that his favourite, though confessedly very small, preserve was destroyed for the season; and I rather think it was; for my experience leads me to believe, contrary to what is generally supposed, that snipe, when once they have had time to settle in a spot, become attached to it, and do not much shift their ground. At least I have known many places in which snipe having been killed off early in the season, none appeared the same season in their stead, although in preceding years birds had been plentiful during the whole winter.
WOODCOCK-SHOOTING.
397. Woodcocks also consider themselves permanently established in localities where they have been long undisturbed ([82]). Mr. S——t of C——n, on the west coast of Ireland, was so fully impressed with this opinion that he would not allow a gun to be fired in his covers until after Christmas,—asserting that not a bird would then leave them before the regular period of migration, but merely, when flushed, remove from one part of the woods to another. It is hard to think that he reasoned incorrectly, for he had when I was in his neighbourhood,—and may have to this day for aught I know to the contrary,—nearly the best, if not undeniably the best, woodcock-shooting in Ireland until the very end of the season. This, too, is saying a “big word,” for woodcock-shooting in the emerald isle is the cream of sport.
398. Now our spectacled acquaintance ([394]), capital sportsman as he was, owed his numerous shots solely to his great pedestrian powers, and the large development of his organ of locality. It is sometimes difficult enough, even with a clever dog, to spring a jack snipe, and you will not tell me that he (not master “Jack,” but the gentleman) would not have bagged more birds, and have had to walk over less ground, had he possessed as good an animal as that which helped to destroy the Fort Adjutant’s preserve. And do you think that our friend with the barnacles, who was in no way of a misanthropical disposition, would not thus have more enjoyed his day’s sport? He might have been assured that birds, if they would not lie for a good-nosed dog, who hunted as cautiously as the officer’s, would not lie for his walking them up. And if on a boisterous day he chose to shoot down wind (as snipe fly against it), why should he not call his companion in to “heel,” and afterwards employ him when re-hunting the same ground up wind? An experienced old dog, would rarely, however, when beating down wind, pass by many birds without noticing them.