drawn up in the act of
pointing, for both the fore were occupied in clinging to some trivial
inequalities of the rough coping, his feathery flag erect, his black eye
fixed, and his lip slavering; for so hot was the scent that it reached
his exquisitely fashioned organs, though Grouse was many feet advanced
between him and the game. Shot backed at the wall-foot, seeing the red
dog only, and utterly unconscious that the pointer had made the game
beyond.

"By Jove! but that is beautiful!" exclaimed the Commodore. "That is a
perfect picture!--the very perfection of steadiness and breaking."

They crossed the wall, and poor Shot, in the rear, saw them no more; his
instinct strongly, aye! naturally, tempted him to break in, but second
nature, in the shape of discipline, prevailed; and, though he trembled
with excitement, he moved not an inch. Grouse was as firm as iron, his
nose within six inches of a bunch of wintergreen, pointed directly
downward, and his head cocked a little on one side--they stepped up to
him, and still on the wall-top, Chase held to his uneasy attitude.

"Now, then," said Harry, "look out, till I kick him up."

No sooner said than done--the toe of his thick shooting-boot crushed the
slight evergreen, and out whirred, with his white chaps and speckled
breast conspicuous, an old cock quail. He rose to Forester, but ere that
worthy had even cocked his gun--for he had now adopted Archer's plan,
and carried his piece always at half cock, till needed--flew to the
right across the Commodore; so Frank released his hammer and brought
down his Manton, while A--- deliberately covered, and handsomely cut
down the bird at five-and-twenty yards.

Grouse made a movement to run in, but came back instantly when called.

"Just look back, if you please, one moment, before loading," said Harry,
"for that down-charge is well worth looking at."

And so indeed it was--for there, upon the wall-top, where he had been
balancing, Chase had contrived to lie down at the gunshot--wagging his
stern slightly to and fro, with his white forepaws hanging down, and his
head couched between them, his haunches propped up on the coping stone,
and his whole attitude apparently untenable for half a minute.

"Now, load away for pity's sake, as quickly as you can; that posture
must be any thing but pleasant."

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