210 THE GROUSE 



birds do begin to come. First make your 

 butt the right height ; if you are a son 

 of Anak, you will find loose turfs lying 

 by the side of the butt, which you can 

 pile on top of the existing structure, until 

 you can get sufficient cover without 

 stooping, — a most important consideration 

 if you want to do yourself justice, while, 

 if your stature be small, you may have to 

 take a sod or two off the top to enable 

 you to shoot freely at birds coming in 

 front. 



Remember, in adjusting your butt, to 

 look at it from the bird's point of view ; 

 if the ground in front rises sharply on one 

 side, that side of the butt must be 

 correspondingly higher. 



Now look to your foothold ; it is 

 essential that you should be able to turn 

 round with ease ; nothing is more fatal to 

 your peace of mind, and consequently to 

 your shooting, than to find yourself 

 bogged to the ankles, when birds are 

 coming thick, and you want to turn round 

 in a hurry. Some minor draining opera- 



