The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-27 00:00:00

EVENING SUN.

• GAMEKEEPERS' DOGS
Having offered remarks at some length r6sp,ectlng
gamekeepers and their duties, it only remains to'notice
their dogs; and I do so from the somewhat reniarkable
fact, that I never yet met with one of these men who
had in his possession either a good pointer or setter, his
own property. Nondescript useful brutes they detpo2,-
seas, often bred between the lurcher and the shepherd's
dog; and one keeper, with whom I shot last year, as-
surd me that during one season in Hertfordshire, about
ten years back, he killed upwards of seventeen hundred
partridges to a wire-haired terrier! The reason that
strikes me for their not being possessed of good pointers
or setters is, that sporting being a business wit hem,
they do not give that time and attention which is it • ssary
to insure anything like perfection; their punishments are
too frequent, and too severe; they cannot wait for the
young blossom to unfold itslf, and a cbg that cannot
take a licking that would kill a tom-cat, is sure to be
spoiled; only violent resolute brutes can stand their
drilling, nine times out of ten the worst animal a man can
have in his kennel. A fine-tempered dog—like a fine-
tempered horse, always the best—has no business in the
kennel of a gamekeeper.
Now we who treat upon sporting subjects are liable to
be accused of egotism by those who read our doings,
but are not of the craft ; but if they would consider that
information such as we offer is chiefly to be gleaned from
personal experience, and that after-dinner tales para-
phrased by sportsmen cannot always be retailed to ad-
vantage, they might perhaps pardon the inducement of
wishing to produce facts, and to establish ourselves
as " men of credit "if not " renown." Therefore that
I did this, and that I witnessed such an event, must not
be too closely criticised where sporting subjects are the
theme. This is the preface to the story of a dog which
I had from the hands of a gamekeeper. The sporting
season was approaching, and I was dogless. Inquiry
brought me intelligence that a butcher had a pointer-
looking dog tied up as a yard dog—it had just been given
to him by Lord A.'s keeper. To the shambles my steps
were quickly bent, and there, chained to a pig-stye in
dirt and filth, was certainly as fine an animal as the
most fastidious could wish to possess, full-sized, beauti-
fully formed, colour dark liver. The butcher did not
want him ; the butcher was already tired of him : he
hid tried him to drive sheep with ; the dog sulked, he
would not even take a sow •by the ear ; so, after a little
chaffering, " 'Well," he said, • he dare say he was not
worth much, or he should not have had him at that time
o' year, so if •I would give his Missus a couple of brace
of birds, and a hare in the season, I might have him."
Off dropped the butcher's degrading fetters, and my
pocket handkerchief supplied their place, and in an hour
afterwards lie was lying upon a hearth-rug. In two
days we were as thick as thieves, and on the third
day we took a walk. As soon as lie came into a
field, off he went at a capital pace, hunted
his ground in the best possible style.; but ere we
could find any birds a tremendous storm came on, and so
finished our first trial. The next day was Sunday, and
the next the first of the shooting season. The interme-
diate time was past in conjecturing what was the grand
offence. Here was a dog docile, handsome, a fine goer,
very clever looking, and obedient: all this I had wade
out; but we shall see. Never going out early to shoot
partridges, it was ten o'clock •on the Ist. of September
18— when Cairo and partner entered the home ten
acres, a wheat stubble; therm. 68. Off he went at score,
and the little breeze that there was he soon 'took ad-
vantage of, and, before he had galloped two minutes,
there he stood, as my man observed, almost as handsome
as a statute, and there stood his master, if not quite
so handsome as John's statute, nearly as still, just to
see what next. What could be expected but that,
as soon as his patience was exhausted, bang he would go
in, and then chase the birds out of the county. Two
or three minutes elapsed—a long time under the circum-
stances; but there stood Cairo: it was a pounding match,
and the master turned first. The distance between us.at
the time I speak of was about 120 yards. •i-ow make
ready and advance—all in state quo till the distance was
diminished to about one-half, when down went Cairo's
stern, about he wheeled, and fairly ran away froni his
point, as if stones were thrown at him, till he thought
himself safe, and then lie turned about and looked
on: the birds rose, and downcame one mortally wounded,
but with a good 'deal of flap left in him like a' stived
cc- ck. I took no notice, but walked straight past the
bird in a direction to place it exactly in the brie between
myself and Cairo, and kept on my way whistling and
calling him. At length, taking courage, on he came to

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the bird, which he took up, adVAnced a-few paces, drop-
ped it, looked at me, still walking And whistling, and
again picked up the bird, and brought to within about
ten yards, and then threw himself -down on his back,
looking, I conjectured, for his accustomed licking. Be-
fore the day was spent, encouragement and kindness had
done its. work, and before the first week of the season
was out, he was decidedly the best dog I was-ever master
of, and brought a cheque for his exchange for such a
sum as -I should never give, and in all probability never
shall receive for anot,her, On inquiry of the gamekeeper,
who was a Yorishiraman, all 1 could get- out of him
was, that ” the doog was just a fule like, and he could
make nought out o' him." Ile was indeed past his un-
derstanding.—Old Sporting Magazine for July.