THE COVERTS 281 



Millet has so often given us ; or perhaps the herds of 

 half-scared but still trustful fallow-deer reminding us of 

 many a scene by Landseer. The interest changes when 

 the covert is disturbed by beaters, who should make 

 play with their sticks, and be chary of using their 

 voices. We can conceive the consternation in the 

 sanctuary caused by the unwonted inroad. The small 

 birds gathering for their migration are the first to go ; 

 there are the indignant protests of jays and magpies ; 

 the pigeons take hurried flight for the open ; the 

 squirrels scrambling up the trunks, with frequent 

 pauses, finally seek refuge in the tallest trees, whence 

 they peer down at the proceedings. As the line 

 advances, the rabbits and hares hustling together are in 

 startled motion like so many maggots in a mouldy 

 cheese ; and the pheasants are running purposelessly to 

 and fro, until one more hysterical than the rest gives 

 the signal for a simultaneous scattering. Then comes 

 the ceaseless crack of the breech-loaders, while breeches 

 are getting warm though the guns are being changed. 

 It is to be hoped that all is going smoothly and 

 pleasantly, but there is always the off-chance of two 

 disagreeables which the most considerate host cannot 

 altogether control. There is the dangerous shot, and 

 there is the jealous shot. The danger comes in chiefly 

 when an excitable man is unfortunately told off to walk 

 with the beaters. In these circumstances he should 

 shoot at nothing except ground game or sky-scrapers, 

 but he is apt to blaze at the birds flying forward breast 

 high, when he may blind a companion or bag a stop. 



