Pheasant Shooting 147 



course straight over us ; presently another 

 wily old chap came across, but sailed away 

 too wide for No. i gun to put in a shot. 

 The beaters' sticks at length could be 

 more distinctly heard, and presently five 

 birds headed straight over, and four fell. 

 Soon the fun became fast and furious, and 

 the birds came over in clusters tremendously 

 high, and at an awful pace. Personally, I 

 can only say I shot very moderately, but 

 the gun next to me was a nailing shot ; he 

 dropped his birds so cleanly and methodi- 

 cally that it was a pleasure to watch him, 

 and I was tempted to ask him what shot 

 he was using. To my intense surprise, he 

 replied, " No. 7," and afterwards showed me 

 his cartridges. I was using No. 6, and had 

 been laying the flattering unction to my 

 soul that my shot was not large enough to 

 stop such lofty and fast birds, but this reply 

 quite knocked the idea endways, and gave 



