ioo SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 



looked like the length of a church in front of the first 

 one ; I killed the last of the five as dead as a stone. 

 There must have been quite four yards between the 

 tip of the first duck's beak and that of the last, which, 

 added to the church's length, shows what immense 

 allowance must be made in certain cases for cross- 

 shots in a wind. 



Talking of allowance, I remember, when engaged 

 in a discussion with Lord de Grey and others at the 

 running-deer range at Wimbledon on the 'throw-up' 

 of some particular rifle, we were attacked and chaffed 

 by the present Lord Dunsany, then John Plunkett. 

 He chuckled greatly, as he stood up to shoot, at the 

 difference of opinion between de Grey and myself. 

 ' But,' I said, ' we agree as to elevation ; we only 

 differ as to the amount of allowance.' ' Just like me 

 and my father,' said Plunkett, as he pulled trigger. 



This question of allowance is rightly said in the 

 Badminton Library ' to be governed by instinct, but 

 the habit of never dreaming it possible to shoot 

 straight at the body of the bird, unless coming direct 

 to you or going direct away, and on the level of the 

 eye, can be acquired by any one, and practice will 

 enable you to a considerable extent to judge how 

 much in front or over to shoot. Speaking generally, 

 1 Shooting, vol. i. p. 40. 



