THE PHEASANT. 167 



The second class are those who cannot hit 

 them ; and not to be able to shoot a tame phea- 

 sant is so provoking that they ' pooh-pooh ' 

 the whole thing ; and they often also do not 

 get asked to try, and that is more galling still. 

 For one man who can drop a brace of pheasants 

 where the trees are high and with the wind 

 blowing a little, and take his spare gun from the 

 loader and drop a brace more, there are three 

 who cannot; and many men who have stood for 

 big game in Indian jungles and acquitted them- 

 selves creditably and who shoot well over dogs, 

 do not shine at this sport, though they hold 

 their own pretty well. 



But it is the gentlemen who pick their shots 

 on the ' never miss ' principle, who kill seven 

 birds Avhere one of the Hurlingham pigeon 

 shooters would drop twenty-one (though he 

 would certainly miss a certain number of shots 

 in doing this), that the owner of the preserves 

 least likes to see ; and as he watches, on some 

 occasion, bird after bird glide by into the ene- 



