THE BAD SHOT^ OR UNSKILLED SPORTSMAN. 117 



you take good care and protect yourself by dodging behind 

 a tree, or a rock, you will stand a good chance of being 

 shot by the accidental discharge of the gun in the hands of 

 the unskilled sjDortsman while racing, especially if through 

 brushwood, hanging branches, or bushes. The bad shot's, 

 or unskilled sportsman's dog will become suspicious of him. 

 He will perform all kinds of little tricks. For instance, 

 when he points a covey he is anxious to get his mouth on 

 the birds, and is conscious of his master missing, and of 

 seeing the birds fly oif, as he has often done before, without 

 having a chance to mouth one; he will take the chances for 

 himself and pitch in before his master gets up to him, and 

 when the birds are on the wing he will take after and chase, 

 and try to catch them. If his master tries to check him 

 from racing he will pay no attention to his call, but will 

 become hard of hearing, head strong, and ungovernable. 

 Should the bad shot, or unskilled sportsman, by chance 

 happen to kill a bird, the dog will be likel}^ to bite it or 

 chew it up before he gets up to him, because he so seldom 

 gets one to mouth, and when he does he makes much of it, 

 by biting or chewing it up. The bad shot, or unskilled 

 sportsman, when shooting with other marksmen, has many 

 false excuses for not killing. For instance, when a Par- 

 tridge rises and flies off he fires in a hurry, without taking 

 aim, of course he misses clip and clear. He will then say, 

 "I would have killed that bird, but just as I pulled the trig- 

 ger my foot slipped, and it threw me clear out of kelter. 

 The next shot I hope I will be more fortunate." Again, a 

 bird rises and flies off, he bangs away ; the bird is missed 

 clear as a whistle. He then says, "did you hear my gun 

 hang fire ; what a pity, such a beautiful ^hot, too. I would 

 have riddled that bird if my gun had not hung fire. It 

 hung fire so long I did not think it was going off, and just 

 as I was in the act of taking it from my shoulder, to my 

 utter astonishment, it went off." The next bird rises and 

 flies across the bad shot, and he being no judge of distances, 

 and having no knowledge of shooting cross shots, or birds 

 flying around, or across to the right, or left, he fires, and 



