PHEASANT SHOOTING 173 



be it ratting, rabbiting, or what not — long ere 

 middle age the zest and healthy amusement derived 

 from outdoor recreation of this kind will have 

 flown, never to return. 



A truce, though, to moralising : let us turn back 

 to the great game. Having begun in this modest 

 fashion, the youth will shortly be probably asked 

 to a few very small covert shoots by relations or 

 friends, and then will get some insight as to 

 the flight of the 'Mongtail" when really well 

 on the wing, and will learn how hard it is 

 to shoot him properly ; but of course, as a 

 beginner, the youngster's chances at these early 

 shoots will be much more confined to ground 

 game and the few pheasants that fly back over the 

 beaters' heads. These, mind you, frequently afford 

 far better and more sporting shots than the for- 

 ward going birds, and certainly, if the wood is at 

 all a thick one, are most excellent practice for 

 anybody to bring down neatly through the trees. 

 Having had a certain amount of this sort of 

 shooting, the young man, as he has now become, 

 is probably invited to a few larger parties, and this 

 means being frequently sent forward and getting 

 good ''stands." This is the time when every 

 shooter, no matter how nicely he may be able to 

 knock over a few birds going back, or getting out 

 of roots or what not, realises how terribly flurrying 

 and upsetting is anything like a big rise of pheas- 

 ants. For they come at you crossing each other 

 and distracting your eye, so that, ere you have 



