PARTRIDGE SHOOTING. 187 



parties proceed to follow the remainder of the 

 covey, which have flown in the direction of 

 the adjacent woods. Just upon its edge the 

 axe has been recently at work, and several 

 trees, still covered with their faded foliage, lie 

 a little to the right of the fence in a line 

 with the flight of the birds. In this cover the 

 covey has doubtless hidden, and with good 

 management a half dozen shots may be obtained 

 on the spot. " Heed ! heed! brave dogs !" See, 

 Dash has come upon a bird which has pitched 

 short of the cover under the fence, and he stops 

 short and gives the never-failing sign, while old 

 Czar, the winner of first blood, backs staunch as 

 stone. Now if your eyes be good, you may see 

 that bird lying close to the rail-post, its body 

 drawn up into the smallest compass and per- 

 fectly motionless. Its white chin has betrayed 

 it, and you can now distinguish its bright eyes 

 fixed timidly upon you. It has probably struck 

 the ground and ran a yard or two to its hiding 

 place, or the dogs might have passed it by, so 

 tightly is the plumage compressed, and the 

 wings shut down over the odoriferous glands, 

 by muscular actions induced by the influence 

 of fear. Observe how close the setter is to the 

 bird ; now just as a man holds his breath when 



