106 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



" Well, I am not a convert, Harry ; but, as the Chancellor 

 said, I doubt." 



" And that I consider not a little, from such a positive wretch 

 as you are ; but come, we have done breakfast, and it's broad 

 daylight. Come, Timothy, on with the bag and belts ; he 

 breakfasted before we had got up, and gave the dogs a bite*" 



" Which dogs do you take, Harry ; and do you use cart- 

 ridge ?" 



" Oh ! the setters for the morning ; they are the only fellows 

 for the stubble ; we should be all day with the cockers ; even 

 setters, as we must break them here for wood shooting, have 

 not enough of speed or dash for the open, Cartridges ? yes ! 

 I shall use a loose charge in my right, and a blue cartridge in 

 my left ; later in the season I use a blue in my right and a red 

 in my left. It just makes the difference between killing with 

 both, or with one barrel. The blue kills all of twenty, and the 

 red all of thirty-five yards further than loose shot ; and they 

 kill dean /" 



" Yet many good sportsmen dislike them," Frank replied ; 

 " they say they ball I" 



" They do not now, if you load with them properly ; formerly 

 they would do so at times, but that defect is now rectified - 

 with the blue and red cartridges at least the green, which are 

 only fit for wild-fowl, or deer-shooting, will do so sometimes, 

 but very rarely ; and they will execute surprisingly. For a bad 

 or uncertain rifle-shot, the green cartridge, with SG shot is the 

 thing twelve good-sized slugs, propelled with force enough to 

 go through an inch plank, at eighty yards, within a compass 

 of three feet but no wad must be used, either upon the car- 

 tridge or between that and the powder ; the small end must be 

 inserted downward, and the cartridge must be chosen so that 

 the wad at the top shall fit the gun, the case being two sizes 

 less than the calibre. With these directions no man need make 

 a mistake ; and, if he can cover a bird fairly, and is cool enough 

 not to fire within twenty yards, he will never complain of car- 

 tridges, after a single trial. Kemember, too, that vice versa to 

 the rule of a loose charge, the heavier you load with powder, 

 the closer will your cartridge carry. The men who do not like 

 cartridges are you may rely upon it of the class which pre- 

 fers scattering guns. I always use them, except in July shoot- 

 ing, and I shall even put a few red in my pockets, in case the 

 wind should get up in the afternoon. Besides which, I always 



