I8o STRA Y FEA THERS FROM MANY BIRDS. 



the stolid Achmed loading his ancient piece, and we 

 must be off in search of the Partridges if we do not want 

 to run the gauntlet of chaff from the French officers 

 in Batna if our bag is a poor one. Amongst the rough 

 ground on a hillside which looks for all the world like 

 a bit of Derbyshire moor without the heather, we shot 

 several brace of birds, Achmed's wonderful tool con- 

 tributing its due share to the bag. I often used to be 

 filled with astonishment at the good shooting of these 

 Arabs with such ungainly looking weapons, such poor 

 powder, and large shot ; but I fear they have taken a 

 leaf out of the Frenchman's book and prefer to wait till 

 their bird is at rest, instead of bringing it down brilliantly 

 in mid-air. Too often Achmed wanted to stalk the 

 birds when I wanted to flush them ; but after all he was 

 perhaps in the right if a big bag is desired, for they are 

 difficult birds to shoot and often fly like arrows from 

 your very feet. We got one or two more birds amongst 

 the cedar trees, in the more open parts of the forest, 

 Achmed being generally careful to shoot his bird as 

 it peeped at him through the scrub a sad breach of 

 confidence I always thought. In some places, especially 

 where the scrub was tall and dense, the Partridges 

 abounded ; and as they always prefer to lie close, the 

 report of our guns did not materially affect our sport. 



But the sun is gradually approaching the west ; we 

 have a long tramp home over rough broken country 



