FOR YOUNG SHOOTERS 93 



being done. For though the host knows that his 

 keeper is standing under a golden shower, and 

 though the guns know that they have got to part, 

 and though the keeper himself knows that the 

 golden discs are about to be pressed into his horny 

 palni, they all affect a perfect ignorance. The host 

 contemplates a beautiful sunset effect, the guns 

 pretend that they must hang behind to give special 

 instructions about their cartridges, and the keeper 

 finds suddenly that matters of the utmost urgency 

 retain him in the immediate neighbourhood of the 

 guns. There is but little variety about such 

 dialogue as may take place. 



If two young shooters talk it over together, 

 each tries to find out what the other proposes to 

 give before committing himself, e.g. : 



First Young Shooter (quietly and tentatively). 

 Um, ah, what shall you give to Sykes ? 



Second Young Shooter (dubiously). Oh, I don't 

 know : usual thing, I suppose. What shall you 

 give him ? 



First Y. S. Well, it's been a pretty fair day- 

 nothing extraordinary, but we've seen birds nearly 

 all the time. I should think a sov would be too 

 much. 



