1 6 SHOOTING AND SALMON FISHING 



friends they can entertain the better these kindly-hearted ones 

 are pleased, so all details as to numbers are settled by asking 

 the head keeper how many he will require for such and such a 

 wood, and according to that estimate invitations are sent out. 



Now, the best of keepers is but mortal, and if the shoot- 

 ing be on a large scale, each gun asked will represent a gold 

 coin of the realm for his pocket, so a liberal view of the 

 required number will surely be taken, and on these shootings 

 ten guns are always asked to do the work of six or seven. As 

 a general rule, to ensure a pleasant day's sport, the guests 

 should be fifty or sixty yards apart ; for if but twenty to thirty 

 yards divide them, it becomes almost impossible for each to 

 keep to his own bird, and under such circumstances a hot 

 corner develops into an affair of indiscriminate banging, and 

 first come first served and devil take the hindmost quickly 

 becomes the order of the day. 



On these occasions also the cry of '' Let 'em rise ! " is often 

 heard, should there be one or two of the party who are known 

 as " plasterers," and kill their birds fluttering on the top of the 

 underwood — a truly horrible style, but one much practised by 

 those who keep a score of what they kill. We do not say 

 there are not exceptional circumstances where a score, if a 

 scorer be sent out, may not fairly be kept ; but as a rule we are 

 certain it is a bad plan ever to think of such a thing. A score- 

 keeping shooter is generally a shot picker, who may repeatedly 

 be seen to refuse difficult chances for fear of spoiling his aver- 

 age, and thus lose a great deal of fun to gratify his vanity 

 and enable him to say so many head were bagged for so many 

 cartridges. The gentlemen who so liberally and kindly provide 

 sport for their friends, although they themselves care but little 

 about it, are also frequently those who make the great mistake 

 of letting their keepers shoot when guests are present, and 

 we have seen some very good keepers quite spoilt in this way, 

 for they will generally be better shots and harder walkers than 

 the ordinary run of visitors at such places, and speedily be- 



