GENERAL REMARKS 19 



Gun, powder, shot and charge were all changed in turn, but 

 to no good purpose, and at the end of the month, depressed and 

 down-hearted at our utter want of success, we were glad when 

 the visit terminated and our adieus were made, while mentally 

 vowing never again to take a gun in hand. A feeling came 

 over us that it could only have been to a muff as great as 

 we were that the late "Ginger" Stubbs once addressed his 

 damning praise. Said he to poor "Jones," who had been 

 fishing for a compliment, " Jones, my dear fellow, you charge 

 your gun well, you ram well, you cap well, you cock well and 

 hold well," and here Jones was smiling all over his face, "but 

 what the devil becomes of your shot is something no man can 

 tell." Dearly as the sport was prized, sadly we were compelled 

 to own that as a shooter we were a most thorough failure. 

 A fortnight passed away, and during that time our discomfiture 

 had to some extent been forgotten, when an invitation came 

 from another good friend, the late Sir Charles Booth, asking 

 us to stay with him at Netherfield, his place in Hertfordshire, 

 and though our misgivings were great, we could not resist 

 accepting. The first day of going out — distrait, unnerved, and 

 shy of letting off the gun — we were content to watch our host 

 knocking his birds over, and killing cleanly at long distances 

 with great precision. It did look so easy! Why, oh why, 

 could we not learn it ? and even while bewailing our stupidity 

 a covey rose, when to our great joy the bird fired at fell dead. 

 "Well shot!" was called ; but, better than that, it flashed across 

 our brain we should yet learn to shoot. Coached by Sir Charles, 

 rapid strides were made from that moment, and by the time the 

 age of three-and-twenty was reached we could well hold our 

 own at rising game. 



Driving, which was then a sealed book (1857) to great 

 numbers of sportsmen, also proved, when first joined in, 

 nearly as disheartening as the earlier experience at rising 

 birds. These not very interesting souvenirs are only recalled 

 from the past to inspire beginners with confidence, and to show 



