ld
they procure for him without the aid of powder and shot.

72. When Colonel M----, who died in Syria, was stationed with his troop of
Horse Artillery at Pontefract, he was asked to shoot partridges at Lord
P----n's seat in Yorkshire. On meeting the gamekeeper, according to
appointment, he found him surrounded by a team of Clumber spaniels.
Colonel M----, in some surprise at seeing no setters or pointers, remarked
that he had expected some _partridge_ shooting. "I know it," answered the
man, "and I hope to show you some sport." To the inquiry why one of the
spaniels was muzzled, the keeper said that his master had threatened to
shoot it should it again give tongue, and, as it possessed a particularly
fine nose, he--the keeper--was anxious not to lose it. They walked on, and
soon the man told M---- to be prepared, as the spaniels were feathering. A
covey rose. The Colonel, who was a good shot, killed right and left. All
the spaniels dropped instantly. When he was reloading the keeper begged
him to say which of the dogs should retrieve the game. M---- pointed to a
broad-headed dog lying in the middle, when the keeper directed by name the
spaniel so favored to be off. It quickly fetched one of the birds. The
keeper then asked M---- to choose some other dog to bring the remaining
bird--a runner. He did so, and the animal he selected to act as retriever
performed the duty very cleverly; the rest of the team remaining quite
still, until its return.

The Colonel had capital sport, killing nearly twenty brace, and the dogs
behaved beautifully throughout the day. When afterwards relating the
circumstances, he observed that, although an old sportsman, he had seldom
been so gratified, as it was a novel scene to him, who had not been
accustomed to shoot over spaniels.

73. Of small cockers, three couple appear ample to form a team. Some teams
of small springers greatly exceed this number, and many sportsmen shoot
over more than a couple and a half of the larger spaniels; but it is a
question whether, in the generality of cases, the gun would not benefit by
the number being diminished rather than increased. The smaller in number
the team, the greater is the necessity that none of them should stick too
close to "heel." The difficulty is to make them hunt far enough, and yet
not too far. At least one of the number should retrieve well. If they give
tongue, it ought to be in an intelligible manner; softly, when they first
come on th