6 SHOOTING AND SALMON FISHING 



back, and thus go right off the shooting. For this reason it was 

 always necessary to have a reliable gun with the beaters. The 

 post fell to Wortley that day, and as the cover about to be 

 beaten was one of low gorse, bracken and broom, leading into 

 Dipple Wood, the guns standing in front could watch the 

 beaters coming from the very first start, and each saw their 

 friend could have killed some sixty birds whilst advancing 

 on them ; but not one single shot did he fire, for that day a 

 strong wind was behind the birds, each one flying forward 

 as it rose, so, like a good man, Wortley sacrificed the poor 

 pleasure of killing a lot of easy shots, and by allowing the 

 birds to develop their speed, by the time they reached the 

 shooters posted in front they had all become " tall " ones, offer- 

 ing difficult and exciting shooting. The guns out that day, 

 besides our host, were the late Sir George Prescott, the late 

 General Goodlake, v.c, Sir John Edwards-Moss, and the 

 author, who all acknowledged Wortley 's sportsmanlike forbear- 

 ance as soon as the beat was over. 



It is much to be regretted so many shooters never take the 

 trouble to master the etiquette of good form, and often the 

 most particular men in all other ways are the greatest offenders 

 against the sportsman's code. 



It is a mistake to assert, as one often hears, that those 

 taking to shooting late in life cannot learn to be good men, 

 so far as relates to their actions in the field ; although it is 

 quite correct that they seldom blossom even into fairly good 

 marksmen. 



Anyone who is really anxious to learn may, in the course 

 of a few seasons, become well versed in all the courtesies of 

 the shooting field ; but unless broken in from boyhood, it is 

 rare to see any short service gentlemen actually excel. 



What happy days hundreds of us have passed with the 

 friendly keeper, during our holidays, and before we were 

 allowed to join in the pursuit of real game ! — days resulting 

 in but a few young rabbits to make a pie for the house, some 



