IN SHOOTING. 139 



the allowance must be greatly increased ; and that al- 

 though a few inches may be sufficient to fire before a 

 fair cross shot, yet at sixty or seventy yards I should 

 fire at least two or three feet before the bird, if it went 

 with any velocity. Yes, even with a detonater I should 

 do so, at this distance! Let any one of my young 

 readers, who shoots fairly, try this against one that 

 adopts the ordinary system, and see who will make the 

 greatest number of long shots. While attending to this, 

 however, he must take care not to present too low, but 

 pitch his gun well up, or, if any thing, full high for 

 the mark. 



In shooting by guess at rabbits, or any thing in 

 covert, fire at least a foot or two before the object, be- 

 cause, on loosing sight of it, your hand will imper- 

 ceptibly obey the eye in coming to a sort of check, by 

 which you will invariably shoot a long way behind it. 



In walking up to your dogs, in turnips or high 

 stubble, when birds are wild, lift your legs high ; and 

 by thus making less noise, you will get twice as near to 

 your game. In an open country, where the stubble is 

 thin, advance as quick as possible, tread light, and 

 crouch your body as low as you can. Why does a 

 pointer sometimes get within ten yards, when the birds 

 fly up from the shooter at above 100 ? Because a dog 

 is so low the birds cannot see him, and rapidly advances 

 on them without making a noise. The sceptic may 

 fancy this an " old woman's story" but, for all that, 

 he'll get beat by the man who attends to it. 



If a dog stands at a high hedge, go yourself on the 

 opposite side, and let your servant be sent where the 

 dog stands. When he hears you arrive opposite, let him 



