The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-12

distant, where few days before the spoor of partridge q am quoting from a
 hunting story) had been discovered.
 I supposed of course that my friend
 knew all about hunting. l supposed also
 that bird dog is born with an instinc-
 tive knowledge of birds and how to do his part in shooting them. In both these suppostions I erred. My
 neighbor had shot at many birds, but
 had never hit any of them. And he had
 never hunted with dog.
 To add to the difficulties I was So
 blissfuly entering into, I had borrowed
 gun from an uncle, who hadn't used
 it or cleaned it for 20 years. But didnH t
 know that at the time. t
 When we reached the field, the dos i. who was wild with excitement, was carefully lifted over the fence I knew from the pictures l had seer I in dining rooms that when a dog points I a bird his tail grows rigid So when in a second or two our dog took this classic l position I began proceeding in the direc- 1 tion indicated by his tail, cautiously and surreptitiously so as to keep my presence concealed from the game as long as pos l sible.
 When I had gone 10 feet or 90 some thing leaped out of the bushes ahead oi me. and 1 fired. Unintentionally 1 pulled l both triggers, with the result that the l gun hit me viciously under the armpit, | and projected me backwards against very hard boulder.
 l But I was still on my feet and my | eyes must have gleamed with triunph h when beheld the execution I had one. The game, a large black crow, was i thoroughly destroyed-so thoroughly, | in fact, that it would have been unfit
 for food had it been an edible bird. | h ir,rr fn
 me in indignation.
 l What did you want to scare all the cartridges out of the country by shoot ling at that crow for?" he demanded savagely.
 "The dog pointed to the crow, didn't lhe?"
 He didn't do anything of the kind. He was pointing in the opposite diree- tion. He had his nose right straight for that covert, and three cartridges flew out of it when you fired" "Oh, do they point with their noses? I was following his tail My friend sighed helplessly T
 might have known it. he said. Now, we'll have to walk another 10 miles" But we didn't. We had hardly got to a standstill, one paw lifted his tail straight out behind him and his nose rigid.
 Let me do ths,' said my friend In 8 hoarse whisper. Don't fire that gun on your life.'
 Gradually the dog proceeded toward the game. Slowly my friend followed l him, the gun cooked and ready for m stant action.
 And then calm red COW strolled to the end of the woods and looked at us in mild surprise.
 She never knew what a narrow es, cape she had. But my friend did, for he had to stop a finger in mid-press and that is very difficult when you arc excited.
 The dog pointed at a number of ob- fleets after that, both with h is nose and his tail. But we were so upset that we did no more shooting. And it is just as well that we didn't, for we, learned afterward that the dog, while a bird dog, is the kind of a bird cog known as retriever and is utterly un>
 trustworthy asa pointer. He is at dog. school now trying to
 make up for his neglected educa ion. But l don't think 1 shall use him for
 hunting. The fine l had to pay for
 hunting over private preserve, which
 discovered l had done when served
 with a summons for the next day is
 about all l can afford to devote to the
 cause of sport for one season at east.