I  took  with  me  a  pointer dog,  who,  in  the  strictest  acceptation  of  the  term,  is  worth  his weight  in  gold,  for  he  has  never  failed  me  yet.  One  day,  when, by  the  most  exact  reckoning,  we  were  at  least  300  miles  from land,  my  dog  began  to  point.  I  was  surprised  to  see  that  he remained  in  this  position  upwards  of  an  hour ;  so  I  told  the captain  and  the  officers,  and  assured  them  that  we  must  be  close to  land,  for  my  dog  scented  game.  All  the  thanks  I  got  for my  information  was  a  loud  burst  of  laughter.  However,  my belief  in  my  dog  was  not  in  the  least  shaken  thereby.

A  long  discussion  ensued,  in  which  my  opinion  was strenuously  combated.    At  the  end  of  it  I  told  the  captain  plainly that  I  had  more  confidence  in  my  dog  Tray's  nose  than  in the  eyes  of  all  the  sailors  on  board  his  vessel  put  together,  and I  boldly  wagered  100  guineas — all  I  had  with  me  for  the expenses  of  my  journey — that  we  should  find  some  game  before half  an  hour  was  over.

The  captain,  who  was  a  very  good  fellow,  laughed  louder than  ever,  and  begged  Mr.  Crawford,  our  surgeon,  to  feel  my pulse.  He  did  so,  and  pronounced  me  to  be  in  perfect  health. They  then  began  to  converse  in  whispers  :  I  majiaged,  however, to  hear  a  few  sentences.

"He's  not  in  his  right  senses,"  the  captain  said.  "I  cannot honestly  take  his  bet."

"I  don't  agree  with  you  at  all,"  replied  the  surgeon;  "the Baron  is  in  perfect  health.  The  only  thing  is  that  he  has  more confidence  in  his  dog's  sense  of  smell  than  in  our  officers' knowledge  of  navigation.  He'll  certainly  lose  his  bet,  and  serve him  right."

"I've  no  right  to  take  such  a  bet,"  the  captain  said  again. "However,  I  can  get  out  of  the  difficulty  in  an  honourable  way, by  returning  him  his  money  if  I  win."

While  this  conversation  lasted,  Tray  never  moved,  so  I  felt my  opinion  strengthened.  I  offered  my  bet  again,  and  it  was taken.

We  had  scarcely  pronounced  the  customary  "Done  with you !"  when  some  sailors  fishing  in  the  gig,  which  was  being towed  astern  of  us,  caught  a  huge  shark.    No  time  was  lost  in hauling  it  on  deck ;  and  when  they  cut  it  open,  behold,  there flew  out  of  its  stomach  six  couple  of  partridges!


- Chapter 15