116 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS. 



sight) find it desirable to cover one's approach with the cart, 

 and in fact go up to the points with the whole cumbrous 

 paraphernalia. Dogs get quite enamoured of this sport, 

 appearing to realize intuitively the whole of the strategy, 

 and it is most amusing to see an old hand, which from long 

 habit, persists in running under a carriage or dog cart, even 

 along the high road. 



A word now as to the horse ; very few will at first stand 

 having a gun fired so near their heads. Some never become 

 accustomed to it at all, breaking into a canter at every shot, 

 which is awkward on rough ground. An animal must there- 

 fore be selected Avhich is capable, by his docile nature, of 

 learning the lesson ; such precautions as stuffing his ears 

 with tow, which deadens the sound, may at first be adopted. 

 After a little experience, a docile animal will pay no atten- 

 tion whatever to the shooting. But it should be laid down 

 as an unalterable rule 7icrer to fire across his head. Only a 

 few extra shots could be obtained thus, and it is almost fatal 

 to the steadiness of any horse, and especially of a nervous 

 one. Two or three such cross-shots will completely ruin 

 many a horse for the work. 



The degree of equine intuition of the sport which is 

 developed, is only second to the canine already mentioned. 

 I have seen a horse which had been terrified by a few reck- 

 less cross-shots, become so acute at seeing the Grouse, that 

 he would sometimes even detect them before we did so our- 

 selves, and then obstinately refuse to advance another yard, 

 backing and rearing in complete terror — of course fatal to 

 the object in view. I shall never forget one afternoon, when 

 ha\-iug borrowed a very old horse from a farmer, at the first 

 shot the animal broke into a terrified trot, and for a full 

 hour kept us running hard across and across a rough bit of 

 fell — the while making frantic, but utterly futile cfi"orts to pull 

 him up. At last we got him on to a road, along which he 

 continued his mad career, and here I left him to the keeper's 

 charge, for during the struggle I had had to throw away my 

 gun, and it cost me near a couple of hours hunting before I 

 found it again. 



Thus it will be seen that both horse and dog may present 



