WALKING UP 151 



dogs, of the faults and failings of the men ; and if he 

 masters the art thoroughly, and can kill them really 

 well, he will find himself, when he comes to join a 

 select team for high-class driving, well able to hold 

 his own, and will discover that there is no special 

 ' knack ' in killing driven birds. I have known a 

 youngster, well trained to other sorts of shooting, to 

 top the score at grouse the first day he ever saw a 

 driven bird, and that against a more than average 

 team. 



On some manors, where driving has never as yet 

 been adopted, and where only moderate bags have 

 ever been achieved, it may be well to try it for three 

 or four years, to disperse the coveys, change the 

 blood, and kill off old barren birds. But this is only 

 worth doing if you are prepared to stick to it, and 

 to give up entirely the old-fashioned system, while 

 you must expect some very disappointing days days 

 when the waiting is long and the shots scarce. For 

 when, on poorly stocked ground, you have allowed 

 the necessary margin for birds that must break out at 

 the sides of the drives, the amount left to come over 

 the guns will be small enough to try your patience 

 greatly. If, after this experiment, which must be 

 strictly carried out that is to say, no walking or 

 shooting over dogs allowed you find your stock 



