174 GUNS 



decided which bird to fire at, the entire bunch 

 are past and gone, and by the time a wild shot is 

 eventually discharged the chance of killing any- 

 thing has become highly improbable. The thing 

 to do, the moment birds begin to come, is to fix 

 your mind upon one, and try to kill it wdth your 

 first barrel. If you fail, give the same bird your 

 second barrel, and never try to bag another bird 

 with your second shot, unless quite sure you have 

 killed the one originally aimed at. To all who 

 have not had much experience, and to many others 

 who all their lives remain nervous bad shots, w^hen 

 a big flush of pheasants occurs, I am certain this 

 is the most sound advice, although of course, as I 

 know only too well, hard to follow in the bustle 

 and excitement which a w^arm corner always natu- 

 rally produces. 



Having by now got to the stage of being asked 

 about to ^^ shoots " of more or less importance, 

 for the sportsman to improve and become a first- 

 class shot, it is only a question of practice and, of 

 course, natural aptitude, with a true eye — for no 

 amount of shooting would ever make some men 

 even reasonably good marksmen. 



It is really remarkable how some of the finest 

 shots in the land — and I know most of them and 

 have shot w^ith them — have their off days, when no 

 bird, however easy, seems within their power to 

 kill. The general reason for this is a stomach 

 out of order, which prevents the hand and eye from 

 w^orking in unison ; but other things may put one 



