16 FACT AGAINST FICTION. 



risen bird he sees, but on the instant bang goes 

 the breach-loader, and the chance is run of animal 

 or bird destruction licensed, or human accidental 

 death. For myself, if a bird rises near me, or a 

 hare starts up close by, I call out to friend or 

 beater, ^^ Where are you?" and then, even with 

 that delay, often have more than plenty of time 

 to fire. I do not go out simjDly to destroy, nor 

 can I bear to endanger anybody who is with me, 

 and therefore I am neither nervous nor put out in 

 any way by the dangerous folly of others.* 



While telling this, and in order to give those on 

 whom I may lay the fair lash, a rise out of which 

 to laugh at me, it behoves me to tell an occurrence 

 that chanced to me at Prestwood, on the borders 

 of Worcestershire, the residence of Mr. Foley. 



We had assembled to shoot the covers there, on 

 a beat where, for incautious shots, the ground was 

 dangerous, inasmuch as there were hollows in the 

 woods, with rather high ridges on either side of 

 them. It was necessary, where these hollows were, 

 to have a gun on each ridge, so as to command 



■" In this, the close of the shooting season, 1874, I have been 

 shot twice. Once in the hand, and once about G inches above the 

 knee ; in the latter place two shots went to the bone, where they 

 remain. 



