KEEPEES AND KEEPERING 437 



habits and idiosyncrasies of the visitors, are commented upon with shrewd observa- 

 tion not unmixed with humour, the whole presented from the detached point of 

 view of the man who is a lover of his profession, who is outside the scramble for 

 preferment, who is satisfied with his position, and does not mean to leave it. 



To the really efiicient head - keeper the "big shoot" comes only as the 

 crowning circumstance of a busy year. All details have been so carefully 

 prepared beforehand that on the day itself every part of the complicated His power 

 organisation falls into its proper place at the proper time.^ tiou.^''"'^'^ 



To the master of the art the wind is always in the " airt " from which 

 the birds can be most easily manceuvred. Flankers appear by magic in the gully 

 down which, for the first time in the memory of man, the birds have begun to 

 break away. There is an order and bustle about events which acts like 

 magic on the most dilettante breakfast-eater, which pushes on the most 

 grasping of the guns from the "pick up" to the next row of butts, and 

 which even stimulates the gentleman's gentleman to take that extra bag 

 of ammunition which is to help to create the record day. 



While the work is proceeding there is no bellowing of forgotten instruc- 

 tions, no downwind drives in which startled coveys and volleys of objurgations 

 hurtle past alternately on a full autumn gale. Drive succeeds drive in 

 orderly sequence. The flickering of a parti-coloured flag, quickly seen and 

 answered by the flankers, is all that betokens the master mind. The birds 

 rise, swing round to the downwind flankers, a sudden display of colour, and in 

 a moment they are over the centre of the line. Little escapes the observation of 

 such a man ; even the expert in excuses modifies his usual explanations, the most 

 hardened cartridge burier ceases for a while from his miry operations below his butt. 



It is not necessary to dwell on the companion picture. The head-keeper 

 who on the day of the shoot prepares to visit the moor for the first time, the 

 shouting and noise which is supposed to make up for the laziness contrasted 

 of eleven long months, the beating of dogs, the coursing of hares, the jn ffl*i^nt 

 loud echoes which perplex the under - men and frighten the game, 'weeper. 

 all proclaim inefiiciency and generally promise bad, certainly unenjoyable, 

 sport. So much depends on the keeper, not only with regard to the bag 

 to be obtained, but also with regard to the satisfaction of successful manage- 



1 While inalving due allowance for the high standard of intelligence required for the successful driving 

 of Grouse it is remarkalile how many gamekeepers are not naturally gifted with this particular form of 

 genius. In nearly every case where a gamekeeper is a master of Grouse-driving his efficiency may be traced 

 to the careful training he has received at the hands of an employer wlio has himself thoroughly studied 

 the subject. 



