DISTURBING A COUNTRY BY SHOTS. 265 



wide stretch of country and once game has been 

 placed on the alert in this way, they become exceed- 

 ingly wary and difficult of approach, and very generally 

 take up positions where they can see well in every 

 direction, in which it may perhaps be impossible to 

 get near them without their discovering it. 



In short, the governing maxim of the hunter should 

 be to so manage as to see his game before the game 

 catches sight of him; if he can do so, there is seldom 

 any insuperable difficulty in getting a fair shot. But 

 when the game has once seen him he may exercise all 

 his arts in vain ; it is rare indeed that they will afterwards 

 give him an opportunity of becoming better acquainted 

 with them, and most probably if started they* will run 

 a long distance before they settle down again, as 

 startled animals have an instinctive dread of pursuit. 



For this same reason it is most undesirable that a 

 country should be in any way disturbed by the letting 

 off of guns near the camp, or by firing at birds or 

 small game for the pot. The sound of shots in certain 

 states of the wind and nature of the country, can 

 frequently be heard at long distances, especially among 

 mountains where the reverberation is often very great, 

 and is carried an immense distance up ravines and 

 passes. For these purposes therefore, a pea-rifle, carry- 

 ing a light bullet, with very small charges of powder, 

 comes in very handy, as it can generally be used with- 

 out much danger of disturbing the neighbourhood. 



There are however certain sorts of game more liable 

 to be alarmed by the sound of shots than others ; such 

 animals, especially if they have been much fired at, 

 generally shift their quarters at once when guns are 

 fired. Some animals however undoubtedly mistake the 



