"
This was soon done; inasmuch as the Commodore is not exactly one to
dally in such matters; and when his locks ticked, as he drew the hammers
to half-cock, Chase quietly dismounted from his perch, and Shot's head
and fore-paws appeared above the barrier; but not till Archer's hand
gave the expected signal did the stanch brutes move on.
"Come, Shot, good dog--it is but fair you should have some part of the
fun! Seek dead! seek dead! that's it, sir! Toho! steady! Fetch him, good
lad! Well done!"
In a few minutes' space, four or five more birds came to bag--they had
run, at the near report, up the wall side among the bushes, and the dogs
footed them along it, now one and now another taking the lead
successively, but without any eagerness or raking looking round
constantly, each to observe his comrades' or his master's movements, and
pointing slightly, but not steadily, at every foot, till at the last all
three, in different places, stood almost simultaneously--all three dead
points.
One bird jumped up to Frank, which he knocked over. A double shot fell
to the Commodore, who held the centre of the line, and dropped both
cleverly--the second, a long shot, wing-tipped only.
Pages:
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199