'{'6 AMERICAN GAME BIKD SH00TI]!TG. 



eleven o'clock, we had bagged fifteen brace of birds. We 

 had shot but few old males or matrons, so that nearly 

 every one was fit for the table. 



As it was time to look after our rivals, in order to com- 

 pare notes and partake of lunch. Miss Lucy decided to 

 drive round the cornfield while I went through it to the 

 opposite side. As the dogs would not follow me, I was 

 compelled to act as my own pointer, but this was an easy 

 matter, for by stooping down amid the stalks and sur- 

 veying my surroundings, I could see any birds within 

 close range. I espied two or three small packs in this 

 manner, but they were ofE before I could get near enough 

 to use the gun, as my brushing against the stalks alarmed 

 them. I was able to get two snap shots however, one of 

 which I scored, but the second bird got off without a 

 touch, I fancy, as I saw it flying high and strong as soon 

 as the smoke cleared away. I did not get another chance 

 to fire until I was near the edge of the field, when an old 

 cock rose up almost from under my feet, but ere he 

 could get fairly on the wing I shot at him, and caused 

 him to tower high, and before he could resume his horiz- 

 ontal position somebody outside the field gave him a 

 second barrel, which knocked small clouds of feathers 

 out of him. He did not come down, however, until he 

 received another round. On hastening out of the corn 

 to see who had trenched on my rights, I saw my fair 

 companion handling the dead bird, and on approaching 

 her, she told me in a rather enthusiastic manner, that 

 she had never seen a chicken tower so nicely. An ex- 

 amination of its wounds proved that it had been hit in 

 the breast, neck, and lower mandible, by several pellets, 

 and this was probably the reason it had soared so well, 

 for I have noticed that birds shot near the head tower 

 much more than tliose hit in the posterior parts. 



Having bagged sixteen brace, we were rather anxious 

 to meet the General and the Captain, to see how the 



