37 o LETTERS TO YOUNG SHOOTERS LETTER 



As to powder, a nitre-compound should alone be 

 used, or on a still damp day you may be so enveloped 

 in the smoke of black powder that you cannot see the 

 grouse driven to you ; besides this serious drawback 

 to its use, it has also a considerable effect in turning 

 birds away from a shooter, for the smoke of black 

 powder, when it hangs like a small cloud in the air, 

 can be seen by the birds at a long distance. 



Should the shooters on either side of you be using 

 black powder, and your cartridges are loaded with a 

 nitre-compound, you will always notice in clear calm 

 weather that the driven grouse will pass over the 

 shelter you are in, in preference to those of your 

 neighbours. 



DOGS IN A GROUSE SHELTER 



Make certain beforehand that your retriever or 

 spaniels are unable to bolt out of your shelter in the 

 middle of a drive, to career gaily about the ground and 

 frighten the birds the wrong way, to the annoyance 

 of all the shooters present. 



You cannot leave the concealment of your shelter 

 to catch a truant dog just as the grouse are. coining ; 

 that would be worse still. You can only entreat, 

 command, and swear by turns ; and, knowing the 

 censure you are liable to (you will probably be told, 

 ' that brute of a dog ruined the whole drive ') , you 

 will certainly not feel in a state of mind for shooting 

 your best. 



