in, when one wants to know what is in the country.

Dick, when he found anything, barked loudly; and this drew attention to
the fact that there was game in that quarter. Sometimes, of course, he
drove the game away; at others he drove it towards me. At all events he
went to places where I never could have gone. On one occasion I heard a
great noise among some long reeds near a lake were I was duck
shooting--Dick barking, some other animal making a strange noise. This
went on so long that at last I went to see what was the matter. After
much trouble I got into the reeds and approached the noise, which was
momentarily getting worse. On coming close I found an animal about
Dick's size standing on its hind legs and fighting with its fore paws,
Dick covered with blood, fighting hard and watching an opportunity to
close with his enemy. On my approach the animal dropped on to fore paws
and endeavoured to escape, on which Dick jumped on to him, thus making
it very difficult for me to use my gun. However, at last, by watching my
opportunity, I fired a shot which disposed of the fighting powers of the
beast, which turned out to be a very large badger. I never could
understand what he was doing so far away from his place of refuge. Was
he after ducks, or what? The animal was at least a quarter of a mile
away from dry land, being in the middle of a marsh, overgrown with
reeds. Another of Mr. Dick's adventures ended more unfortunately for
him, as I fear he never got over its effects. I again, as on the last
occasion, heard him evidently furiously engaged with something in a
thick wood. After crawling on my hands and knees for some time, I found
Dick and two other of my spaniels in furious combat with an enormous
wild cat, who when I came up was holding her own against the dogs. The
beast got her back against a tree, and was fighting all three dogs,
keeping them at a respectful distance. My man seized a piece of wood,
more like a little tree than a stick, and made a blow at the cat, which
blow unfortunately came down with great force on Dick's head. The poor
dog lay senseless for some time, and then crawled away, seeming to say,
'I'll have nothing more to do with you.' He never recovered that blow,
and became quite a different dog, dying some months afterwards.

The feathered game shooting is very good in the neighbourhood of
Constantinople. Pheasants, though rare, may be obtained five or six in a
day. I have killed fifteen to my ow