172 LETTERS TO YOUNG SHOOTERS LETTER 



This will cause the birds to fly home high and fast 

 over the guns to (B). 



On the other hand, if you post the guns first be- 

 tween (A) and (B), facing (A), and afterwards between (B) 

 and (c), also facing towards (A), and drive each covert 

 separately, then the birds will offer low, hesitating 

 shots, and a large proportion will turn back or wheel 

 to one side when they feel the wind against them, and 

 also find they are between the guns and the beaters. 



If the wind is in the opposite direction, the guns 

 and beaters should commence by walking up the 

 wood (c), and the birds will then finally be killed a& 

 they fly back from (A) to (B), the order of the beat 

 being reversed. 



It will be noticed that I have placed the guns one 

 behind the other. Why ? Because, when a number 

 of pheasants are driven to a point, they are apt to 

 rise in a cluster, and fly too many at a time for one 

 line of shooters ; but any birds that fly low over the 

 front row of guns (who of course spare these) will pro- 

 bably be high flyers for the rear rank. With two lines 

 of guns, the first line should never fire at any birds 

 except in front, overhead, or high to one side. The 

 rear guns can take birds that have passed by them, if 

 these give fair killing chances, which, together with 

 the low birds spared by the forward line of guns, will 

 make up for their not obtaining so many shots. 



If the wood (c), instead of being pointed, was round 

 or square, then two rows of guns are not required, as 



