88 SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 



which intervenes between the turnips and the fence. 

 I dwell upon this instance because therein lies all 

 the real foundation of the superiority of a good man 

 out shooting over a bad one. It accounts for the 

 proverbial good-luck of really first-rate men in driving, 

 as well as in walking up. The good man appears to 

 get more chances, because as the ground develops in 

 front of, or around him, he sees at once where he is 

 likely to get a shot, and when it comes he is ready for 

 it. He is safer to shoot with, for his faculty of obser- 

 vation and memory combined make him aware of 

 places where the rise or fall of the ground has ac- 

 counted for dangerous shots being fired, and in snch 

 places he will only fire within certain limits. To a 

 beginner I would recommend the happy practice of 

 going over again in his mind all the incidents of the 

 day, field by field, and shot by shot, when he goes to 

 bed, trying to remember how and where every brace 

 of birds was killed, how many were lost, and where. 

 I used to do this regularly, and sometimes do still, 

 and I know no pleasanter way of courting the sleep 

 which the wearied hunter must enjoy to the full in 

 order to be fit for the next day's work. 



As I do not know whether I shall be addressing 

 myself chiefly to the novice in the sport of partridge- 

 shooting or to the practised shot, I shall just set 



