. GROUSE SHOOTING (PART VIII\ ' DRIVING ' 365 



pocket, so long as the grouse do not arrive too quick 

 for doing this ; and when they do come in rapid suc- 

 cession you have your other gun close to you in 

 reserve, whilst the first is being reloaded and then 

 placed ready for you by your assistant. It is possible, 

 however, that the grouse may occasionally fly to your 

 shelter in such numbers that you have no time be- 

 tween the shots to lift your second gun off the ground 

 and then raise it to aim. In such case you will have 

 to take the loaded gun direct from your assistant's 

 hand, at the same moment giving him the one you 

 have just fired to recharge. (Fig. 73, next page.) 



The loader, as he half kneels or stoops on your 

 right in the shelter with his back towards you, should 

 hand you the loaded gun with his left hand into your 

 left hand as he partly turns to his left for this pur- 

 pose, and you partly turn to your right to meet him 

 in the act ; then, without an instant's delay, hand 

 him the fired gun with your right hand into his still 

 extended left hand. (Fig. 73, next page.) 



If a loader always hands you the gun he has just 

 charged held upright in his left hand, and turns to 

 his left side only to do so, and if he takes the fired 

 one from you also with his left hand, and loads it 

 with the muzzle directed towards the ground behind 

 you, there is no fear of accident (figs. 72 and 73). It 

 is when a loader turns to his riyht to give you a loaded 



