THE FOREST AND THE PLAINS. 355 



teen points at deer, and killed half the number, as he 

 implies, in a morning. This is, however, but the ignoble 

 work of breaking a butterfly on the wheel! Let Mr. 

 Quid go! 



In these three kinds of deer hunting, all that the 

 beginner has to do, is, if placed at a stand, to hold himself 

 perfectly silent, perfectly motionless, perfectly observant 

 and attentive, neither to smoke cigars, nor go to sleep ; 

 neither to fire his gun at any thing but the deer, nor to 

 let the deer go past without firing at him. In a word, let 

 him keep his mouth shut, his eyes open, and his head 

 clear, trust in Providence, and be patient. 



If he be riding to hounds, let him choose out the best 

 rider, and the person best acquainted with the country 

 whom to follow, let him stick upon his horse as well as he 

 can, hold him hard by the head with the snaffle, keep his 

 spurs out of his sides, put his head straight at whatever 

 fence he means to take, refuse no necessary, and ride at no 

 unnecessary, leap, and when he fires, grip the horse firmly 

 with the knees, and bear his weight on the stirrup of the 

 side toward which he fires, rather than on the other, 

 since, if the horse swerve, it will be away from the shot, 

 not toward it. If he be riding at speed on parallel lines 

 with the game at which he shoots, little allowance will be 

 necessary, as the gun and its object advance at nearly 

 equal rates. 



In still-hunting, which no one, a novice, of course, 

 dreams of doing, except in company with an experienced 

 guide, the only thing to do is to follow silently in his 

 wake, imitate all his motions, observe all that he observes, 



