dea of a
correct range, be most careful not to get in advance of the ground he is
to hunt; your doing so might habituate him to cross the field
diagonally--thereby leaving much of the sides of the fields unhunted,--in
order to get ahead of you; and, moreover, _you_ might spring birds you are
anxious _he_ should find. Should he, on the other hand, be inclined to
work too far upward before making his turn to cross the field, hang back
in your own person.

134. Though you may be in an unenclosed country, let him range at first to
no more than from seventy to eighty yards on each side of you. You can
gradually extend these lateral beats as he becomes conversant with his
business--indeed at the commencement rather diminish than increase the
distances just named, both for the length of the parallels and the space
between them. Do not allow the alluring title "a fine wide ranger" to
tempt you to let him out of leading strings. If he be once permitted to
imagine that he has a discretionary power respecting the best places to
hunt, and the direction and length of his beats, you will find it
extremely difficult to get him again well in hand. On the moors his range
must be far greater than on the stubbles, but still the rudiments must be
taught on this contracted scale or you will never get him to look to you
for orders. Do _you_ keep entire control over his beats; let _him_ have
almost the sole management of his drawing upon birds, provided he does not
puzzle, or run riot too long over an old haunt. Give him time, and after a
little experience his nose will tell him more surely than your judgment
can, whether he is working on the "toe" or "heel" of birds, and whether he
diverges from or approaches the strongest and most recent haunt--do not
flurry or hurry him, and he will soon acquire that knowledge.

135. As the powers of scent vary greatly in different dogs, the depth of
their turns--or parallels--ought to vary also, and it will be hereafter
for you to judge what distance between the parallels it is most
advantageous for your youngster ultimately to adopt in his general
hunting. The deeper its turns are, of course, the more ground you will
beat within a specified time. What you have to guard against is the
possibility of their being so wide that birds may be passed by unnoticed.
I should not like to name the distance within which good _cautious_ dogs
that carry their heads high will wind game on a favorable day.

136. If you