228 THE GROUSE 



butt first, sending any which your 

 neighbour killed at once to his butt, then 

 let your dog try for the hidden birds and 

 runners which you cannot find for your- 

 self. If you let a dog start working when 

 there are a lot of dead birds lying about, 

 he gets demoralised and may give up 

 working altogether. 



Make it a general rule always to unload 

 your gun and leave it in your butt, when 

 you go out to pick up your birds. It 

 is trying to see a wounded bird get up 

 and go away, which could easily be 

 stopped by the gun, but shooting round 

 the butts, with so many people about, is 

 never really safe. Of course, if you get 

 special permission from your host, and 

 you are sure you are not spoiling the next 

 drive, you may quite justifiably go for 

 a bird which was hard hit and carried on 

 some way. But no indiscriminate poach- 

 ing, please, in a case like this ; confine 

 your attention to the bird you went to 

 look for, or you may bring well-earned 

 censure on your devoted head. 



