BLACKGAME 249 



your first shot only serving to retard his 

 progress. 



" Shoot at his head as if it was a snipe, 

 and think what an easy snipe it would be." 

 You repeat to yourself this advice that 

 some one once gave you as you eject the 

 empty cases, and vow you will be well 

 ahead of the next one. 



Nor have you long to wait, for black- 

 game are real vagabonds, here to-day and 

 gone to-morrow, and to-day all the 

 cocks of the countryside seem to be 

 collected in this twenty acres of wood. 

 You make no mistake about the next 

 bird, a real old veteran ; taken in the 

 right place, well in front of you, he 

 crumples up at once, and comes down 

 crashing through the branches to fall at 

 your feet. 



This gives you confidence, and though 

 you cannot hope to vie with the practised 

 hand below, who kills bird after bird so 

 neatly and cleanly, without any seeming 

 effort, still you are shooting well above 

 your average, and doing fair execution 



