At the very peep of day Collie Dog and Setter Pup started out on a hunting trip of their own. Collie Dog called the place "my farm" and he had told his friend of all the wonderful sights there were to be seen on the place by a dog who could travel alone and do as he wanted. It was his habit, he said, to be abroad very early; sometimes, indeed, he would run over the fields and along the shore, or back into the woodland, for miles and miles before breakfast.
"And what do you do that for?" Setter Pup asked. For this youngster was just from the city, and he was not used to these country ways. "We never get up until long after the man with the milk cans has gone by the door, and the postman has come and gone," he yawned. "That's the proper thing in town."
"And we get up before the milk cans start for town," he said. "That is, some of us do. But they'll take you out early enough when the hunting begins. And you'll be pointing birds all day in the fields and the swamps."
Setter Pup waved his tail proudly, for he meant to be a great hunter. That was why they had him in the country now—to teach him all sorts of things about guns and what to do when he smelt2 a covey of birds.
But Collie Dog was no hunter, being more of a scholar and a poet. His master, at any rate, had read him a great deal of poetry. And much of the poetry had been of a nature to discourage hunting; which was just what the doggie's master liked to do. He was thoroughly3 in sympathy with his pet, who couldn't endure a gun, either the sight or the sound of it. But, much as the gentleman knew about the fields and the woods, he would have known more could he have understood what Collie Dog would have loved to tell him. For that gentle dog was on the best of terms with every living creature for miles around. His early morning expeditions were always but so many rounds of visits.
Consequently, the newcomer, this eager and noisy young setter, was to make many new acquaintances on this daybreak excursion with Collie Dog.
Down the lane from the barn to the pasture they romped5, the dew drenching6 their flanks as they brushed the tall weeds and bushes. Setter Pup, with his ears flapping in excitement, was plunging7 heedlessly ahead when Collie Dog called him back.
"Go easy here! We are sure to hear something," Collie Dog whispered.
And suddenly, while they walked almost on tip-toe, there came from the very edge of the field, a clear, ringing call:
"Bob! Bob! Bob!"
"Why, who can be down here in the hayfield at this time of the morning?" Setter Pup asked in surprise.
"Just wait!" laughed Collie Dog, delighted.
"Bob, Bob, Bob-White!"
The voice was as clear as a boy's.
"That's my best friend out here," Collie Dog explained. "It's little Mr. Partridge."
Then very quickly the beautiful, trim little Mr. Partridge hopped8 clear of the tangled9 grass and stood gaily10 on the fence-rail. He was speckled and shapely and his eyes were full of wonderful humor. But he caught sight of the strange dog, and was gone in a second. Then, to Setter Pup's great astonishment11, there were many little voices, and wild scuttlings in the very path ahead of him. And two beautiful partridges, their wings apparently12 broken, were hobbling along almost before his very nose. They were dying, as it seemed.
Setter Pup was all for seizing them. Two such crippled creatures were easy prey13. But his instincts were, after all, of another sort; for, although he had never done it before, he stood stock still and pointed14 his nose straight at the birds, his tail stretched out like a long plume15 behind him.
Collie Dog shook with laughter.
"Well, that gun shooting master of yours would be proud of you if he could see you now," he said. "You're pointing straight as a weather vane. But we're not out hunting birds this morning. Come here, and I'll show you something."
Setter Pup dropped his tail and stepped back. Then Collie Dog came softly up to the little birds that were cowering16 in the path. They knew him well enough. Even if he was a dog, he was a friend; and if there is a creature who knows a friend and would be on terms of friendship with the whole world it is Mr. Bob-White.
They were even pleased to meet young Setter Pup, when they found out that he was staying at the farm. They could not believe that a personal friend of their wonderful Collie Dog could be ill-disposed to such as the partridge family.
And Mr. Bob-White talked about "our farm" exactly as though it were his own. He said that he and his family could surely keep down the potato bugs17 that year; and that if it could only be known what his intentions were in this matter of eating up the pests that canker and destroy, he was sure no one would want to kill him.
"You always say that, poor Mr. Bob-White, and how I pity you," the gentle Collie Dog replied. For he was as quick to weep as to laugh, being so refined a dog. "And it's a shame. My master reads to me all about you. And we get very indignant when we think of how you are the one thing that these farmers can depend upon to eat up more bugs than anybody else could ever devour18. You're so much better than poison and all the rest of the truck they sprinkle around."
"Yes; the poison just washes off in the rain. My family, if only we could be let alone, would do it all. Didn't you tell me that my cousin down in Texas ate up all the boll weevils in a county full of cotton?"
"That's the truth," answered Collie Dog. "Master read it to me. But you're safe enough on this farm anyway. You know that. My friend Setter Pup is not going to hunt here at all."
"And I shall never hunt partridges—never!" declared Setter Pup, who was sadly distressed19. "I wish I had never been born"—he was crying now—"if I have to hunt down such folks as Mr. Partridge." For poor Setter Pup had found that he possessed20 a heart; and that discovery is the most distressing21 one in the world.
"Oh, you'll get over that," Collie Dog comforted him. "You'll have to. Your master will attend to you. But I'm sorry for you. And just look at these baby partridges."
One by one, as Mrs. Partridge had clucked to them, in a little voice like the ticking of a tiny clock, they had crept up to her. Ten little chicks there were, of a light brown, and nothing but fluffy22 down and beady eyes. One of them hopped right out from in front of Setter Pup, where it had hidden under a leaf.
"Good gracious!" he exclaimed. "There was that chicken, and I never saw it at all!"
"No," Collie Dog replied; "you would never guess where they go to when their mother gives the alarm. And then she runs off and tempts23 you to kill her. She hobbles and cries and lies down to die right at your feet. My own mother, who was a Scottish noblewoman, being an Argyle, used to say that she never saw such a wonderfully devoted24 mother as Mrs. Bob-White."
With a gay farewell to Mr. Partridge, the sprightly25 dog was off. And Setter Pup went racing26 after him. For there was much to see, and the sun was already clear and golden. The grass shone in waves of green, and as the dew dried there came the loveliest odors of wild honeysuckle and clover. It was a time to be gay, and Collie Dog did not want to have his young friend depressed27. There were some wonderful mud-holes to visit, where they could get just as cool and as dirty as they pleased.
"And when the mud dries off," Collie Dog explained, as they plunged28 through the bushes, "your coat will shine as though it had been brushed."
It was a wonderful romp4 that they had in the mud-hole, deep in the swampy29 meadow, under the blackberry vines. And when they came out, disgracefully dirty, to dry themselves under a China-berry tree, they were rolling over and over on the grass, when a funny little voice called out from the branches overhead:
"Hello, Mr. Dog!"
Setter Pup jumped to his feet; but Collie Dog only looked up into the tree.
"'Morning, friend 'Possum; and how's your family to-day?"
"Oh, they're doing fine. Twelve of them and all getting plump. We like your turnip30 patch very much."
Then he laughed; a squeaky little laugh it was; and Collie Dog seemed to enjoy the joke too, for he sat up with a smile.
"Come on down and let's see you die," he requested. "My friend has never seen a 'possum play dead."
"No, indeed, Mr. Collie. I don't know your friend—and I don't think I care to. He's a hunting dog. But I'll die right here on this branch, if that will amuse you."
So Mr. 'Possum threw himself into a wonderful attitude and looked as dead as dead could be. His head hung over the branch and his mouth lolled open, and his little paws were all curled up.
"How queer!" Setter Pup exclaimed. "I suppose he's satisfied that nobody but a buzzard would touch him now. What a dandy trick!"
"It fools 'em, all right," said Collie Dog, who always delighted in this performance.
Then Mr. 'Possum winked32 a sly wink31 and slid like a big rat along the branch to a hollow place in the tree.
"He's gone in. Probably his wife wanted him."
And then Collie Dog was off again, bounding and racing across the field, with Setter Pup keeping beside him.
Miles they went, through the country. Young Setter Pup saw more than he ever had guessed could be seen. There was Mr. Blacksnake, who raced like mad over the leaves, making an astonishing noise. He carried his head very high and went such a zigzag33 course that the dogs lost sight of him.
"He's an ugly fellow, too, but he can't hurt you. He makes a funny noise with his tail, rattling34 it on the leaves if you corner him. He wants you to think he's a rattlesnake. But it's only a clever trick," said Collie Dog. "Sometimes on that sandy piece of road we've just passed, we'll come across Mr. Hognose. He's a queer little snake. He can scare you terribly by puffing35 and blowing, so that you would think he was very dangerous. But he can't bite at all, nor hurt you as much as a cat. He plays off at being dead too, just like Mr. 'Possum. But he never crawls out till the sun is high. He likes the heat. I've met him a great many times, but always when it was hot."
By this time it was a glorious morning, and as the two dogs trotted36 down the wood road and along the river bank, the birds were calling from every side.
"I like to come this way," Collie Dog went on. "There's a redbird, a very aristocratic cardinal37, who flies ahead of me every time. He's had a whole story written about himself. Master's read it aloud to me. Does your master read aloud to you?"
Setter Pup was somewhat embarrassed.
"We read about guns and cartridges38 and Canadian guides, and fishing tackle," he admitted.
"H'm!" mused39 his companion. "Destructive, of course. Right in your line. But not my style. We prefer the other kind, my master and I. But not everybody can be a poet, of course."
Just then the cardinal-bird darted40 out of the honeysuckle and flew ahead of them, and in an instant a brilliant bluebird followed him.
"They fly together just that way. Master says they must like each other's color. Aren't they beautiful?"
And then, before they knew it, the birds were gone; and Setter Pup was surprised to see that this river path had been the way home, for they were almost at the farm door.
"If I could only go hunting with you instead of with those guides and guns," Setter Pup began; for evidently there was something on his mind and he wanted to talk.
But Collie Dog just wagged his tail. He understood. There was nothing to be said, for a dog owes everything to his master, and there are many kinds of masters. Besides, the door was open and there were voices upstairs. Setter Pup's owner was calling across the hall to his host.
"He ought to make a fine pointer. His mother was a prize bird dog, you know."
And Collie was truly distressed. But, then, as he often asked himself:
"What could a poor dog do?"
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1
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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smelt
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| v.熔解，熔炼；n.银白鱼，胡瓜鱼 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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romp
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| n.欢闹；v.嬉闹玩笑 | |
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romped
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| v.嬉笑玩闹( romp的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指在赛跑或竞选等中）轻易获胜 | |
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6
drenching
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| n.湿透v.使湿透( drench的现在分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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7
plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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hopped
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| 跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花 | |
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tangled
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| adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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gaily
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| adv.欢乐地，高兴地 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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12
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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13
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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14
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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plume
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| n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰 | |
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cowering
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的现在分词 ) | |
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17
bugs
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| adj.疯狂的，发疯的n.窃听器( bug的名词复数 )；病菌；虫子；[计算机]（制作软件程序所产生的意料不到的）错误 | |
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18
devour
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| v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷 | |
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distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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distressing
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| a.使人痛苦的 | |
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fluffy
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| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
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tempts
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| v.引诱或怂恿（某人）干不正当的事( tempt的第三人称单数 )；使想要 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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sprightly
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| adj.愉快的，活泼的 | |
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26
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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27
depressed
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| adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的 | |
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28
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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swampy
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| adj.沼泽的，湿地的 | |
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30
turnip
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| n.萝卜，芜菁 | |
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31
wink
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| n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁 | |
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32
winked
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| v.使眼色( wink的过去式和过去分词 )；递眼色（表示友好或高兴等）；（指光）闪烁；闪亮 | |
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33
zigzag
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| n.曲折，之字形；adj.曲折的，锯齿形的；adv.曲折地，成锯齿形地；vt.使曲折；vi.曲折前行 | |
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34
rattling
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| adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词 | |
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35
puffing
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| v.使喷出( puff的现在分词 )；喷着汽（或烟）移动；吹嘘；吹捧 | |
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36
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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37
cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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38
cartridges
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| 子弹( cartridge的名词复数 )； （打印机的）墨盒； 录音带盒； （唱机的）唱头 | |
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39
mused
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| v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事） | |
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40
darted
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| v.投掷，投射( dart的过去式和过去分词 )；向前冲，飞奔 | |
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41
flopped
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| v.（指书、戏剧等）彻底失败( flop的过去式和过去分词 )；（因疲惫而）猛然坐下；（笨拙地、不由自主地或松弛地）移动或落下；砸锅 | |
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