374 A FARMER'S YEAR 



birds are put over the guns in the best possible manner of 

 which the lie of the land permits. The performance of some of 

 the crack game shots and there were one or two gentlemen 

 present to-day who may be included in the list is a thing to 

 see. They seem rarely to make a mistake, and however high the 

 bird may pass they always hit it well forward, killing it clean and 

 dead ; not waiting, as bunglers like myself are so apt to do, till it is 

 almost over the gun and sending an unavailing second barrel after 

 it as it vanishes into space. Battue shooting, as it is popularly 

 called, is a favourite target for the scorn of people who know very 

 little about it, and who, to save their lives, could not bring down 

 one high bird in twenty. As a matter of fact, it is a difficult 

 art indeed, like the poet, the really fine shot is born, not made. 

 If any one doubts it, let him watch Lord Walsingham, standing 

 away back behind the line of guns and bringing down pheasant 

 after pheasant which appear to be almost out of the reach of shot, 

 not picking or choosing, but taking them one after another as they 

 come at every possible or impossible angle. 



By the way, there is nothing more disconcerting to the 

 ordinary sportsman than this process of being watched, anent 

 which a gentleman once told me a most amusing story. He 

 was taking part in some big shoot on a Yorkshire estate where it 

 was the habit of miners to congregate to watch the sport. A number 

 of these gentry attached themselves to him, following him from 

 beat to beat and staring at him so hard that he grew nervous 

 and began to miss freely. At length the last and great stand of 

 the day was reached, when, just before the beat began, a ferocious 

 and peculiarly powerful miner advanced and whispered hoarsely 

 in his ear, ' Look 'ere, guv'ner, you're shooting h'orful, and I've 

 lost three bob on yer. But I've backed yer double or quits, 

 and, by gosh ! if I don't win this time /'// knock yer bloomirf 

 head off? 



October 29. All our wheat is now in except one piece at 

 Bedinpham, which if it is fine, we shall drill on Monday. We 



