xxn. GROUSE SHOOTING (PART VII), ' DRIVING' 361 



square are erected between the shelters to protect one 

 gun from the next, in the event of a negligent sports- 

 man ; but these are no real safeguard, as the spread 

 of the shot is so wide at 30 to 40 yards that a pro- 

 portion of the higher pellets of the charge may easily 

 clear the wall, and thus strike the occupant of the 

 shelter on its farther side. 



You need not, however, be so nervous of the guns 

 in the shelters adjoining yours, as you can keep an 

 eye on their movements, but rather of the ones 

 nd them, especially if the latter are on higher or 

 lower ground than yourself, as their shot might pass 

 over the heads of your immediate neighbours, and 

 yet pepper yon \ 



The only way to insure absolute safety in grouse 

 driving is to fix small movable wooden frames (fig. 71) 

 on both sides of each shelter, so as to prevent a 

 shooter from ever pointing his gun in a dangerous 

 quarter, and, above all, to check him from following 

 birds, gun to shoulder, till they are opposite the next 

 shelter to himself. It is the duty of every shooter to 

 see that his safety frames are placed in such a position 

 on the sides of his shelter that he cannot by accident 

 level his gun at the sportsmen near him on either 

 hand. I have seen the sides of the shelters raised 

 for the purpose of safety, but this is a bad plan, as 

 you are then liable to lose sight of a grouse flying 

 past you, perhaps one of a brace, that you are unable 



