260 PARTRIDGES 



the ground by a hedge or wall. It is 

 quite surprising to find how slight and 

 unnoticed a depression will completely 

 conceal a line of guns, and, in undulating 

 country, when the fence of the field you 

 are driving happens to be awkwardly 

 placed for shooting from, a comparatively 

 ineffective drive can often be turned into 

 a very killing one by moving the line a 

 short distance forwards or backwards and 

 making use of a dip in the ground, or by 

 putting up a line of butts 30 yards behind 

 the offending fence. 



A keeper is naturally inclined to 

 devote the whole of his thoughts to his 

 own part of the business, and is apt to 

 think that if the birds are brought over 

 the guns, it is not his fault if the pick up 

 at the end of the drive is small, forgetting 

 that no gun can be expected to do him- 

 self justice if he is placed where he can 

 neither see well nor move freely. Of 

 course if you have a tall belt of firs, a 

 narrow valley, or a railway cutting on 

 the ground, you should dodge the drives 



