DRIVING 251 



possible a repetition of the drives of the 

 morning. 



The drives should be finally settled on 

 the ground, and the various lines for the 

 guns determined in situ. In this diffi- 

 cult question of placing the guns nothing 

 should be left to chance. If it be 

 left to an unexperienced keeper to settle 

 where the guns are to stand, he will 

 probably place them scattered about in 

 ' likely spots ' down the whole side of a 

 field ; while if the guns are simply asked 

 to line down a fence from a fixed point, 

 they are sure to divide the distance un- 

 equally, and in either case some guns will 

 be found to be 60 or 80 yards apart. 

 With such intervals, the number of birds 

 which must be wounded and lost in a 

 day is not pleasant to think of, for birds 

 coming low between two guns are almost 

 out of shot before they have safely 

 cleared the line, while others coming up 

 to an unguarded part of the fence swing 

 down it to pass through the line at an 

 acute and difficult angle. A little 



