GENERAL REMARKS 17 



coming elated at their own prowess, they become " too big for 

 their breeches," whilst should one of the gentlemen chance 

 to be both a better marksman and better walker, the keeper 

 will become wildly jealous ; and we once, in Scotland, saw 

 a whole day's sport reduced to a match between the two, which 

 the amateur won very easily. Indeed, as far as shooting goes, 

 the gentlemen as a body are, as they ought to be, a very long 

 way in front of the keepers. It is as well that a game-keeper 

 should be able to shoot more or less, but some of the best 

 are very moderate performers with the gun, relying chiefly on 

 their traps for the destruction of all vermin. 



Except under exceptional circumstances, such as a day's 

 ferreting, where we have known both master and man for some 

 time and are sure of the latter's training and good manners, 

 we usually plead an excuse if asked to take the field with the 

 keeper who is to shoot. 



As a rule, each man thinks he kills more than he actually 

 does, for if eight guns are called together after a hot corner, 

 and each be asked what he has bagged and the total added up, 

 it will generally be nearly double the number of head gathered. 



During the course of a moderate day's sport — four of us 

 tramping the fields in line— we once heard a very bad shot 

 asked what he had killed up to luncheon-time, when, in perfect 

 good faith, he claimed the whole bag ! 



Never count or let the keeper count the cartridges taken 

 out ; make sure there will be plenty, and at the end of the day 

 do not look at the number remaining, for your own judgment 

 will tell whether you have done well or the reverse ; and, if 

 anyone should happen to be in very good form and make a 

 long string of kills, let him not on any account boast of it, 

 or the first time he is a little "off" he will receive a lot of 

 chaff and, worse still, render himself miserable by his own 

 thoughts on his bad shooting. 



The author trusts his readers will not think he is about to 

 try and teach them how to shoot or to fish. Hints only are 



D 



