12 /;/(/ GAME SHOOTING 



found it he would have secured for himself those first invalu- 

 able seconds when the beast was still standing uncertain of 

 danger and for the moment at his mercy. If only a man is 

 enough of a woodsman to find his way back to camp and to find 

 again the game he has killed, he will do far better to go alone 

 than with the best of guides. Two pair of eyes may be better 

 than one, but one pair of feet make less noise than two, and 

 the man who finds his own game, and chooses his own time to 

 shoot, is far more likely to kill than the man who presses the 

 trigger at the dictation of an excitable redskin. That ' Shoot, 

 shoot ' has lost many a head of game. 



Don't be in a hurry when you have sighted game. If it has 

 not seen you it is not likely to move, and if it has you can't 

 catch it. Take your time. Light a pipe if the wind is right, 

 and if it isn't the deer will object to your smell quite as much as 

 to the smell of tobacco. Having lighted your pipe, con the 

 ground over carefully, and plan out your stalk at your leisure. 

 It may be that you have come across sheep in an utterly unap- 

 proachable position, lying down for their midday siesta. If so, 

 lie down for yours too, keeping an eye open to watch their 

 movements. Towards evening first one old ram will get up and 

 stretch himself (and perhaps turn round and lie down again) and 

 then another ; but eventually they will feed off slowly over the 

 brow, and then you can run in and make your stalk. If there is 

 a good head in the band your patience will not be without its 

 reward. Again, when you have made your stalk and are 

 safe behind your boulder at 150 or 200 yards from your beast, 

 don't be in a hurry. If your eyes are dim and you cannot see your 

 foresight clearly, shut your eyes and wait. There is no more 

 reason why the beasts should see you now than half an hour ago. 

 Wait till your hand is steady and your eye clear ; don't look too 

 much at the coveted horns (as my gillies always said that I did) ; 

 shoot not at the whole beast, but at the vital part behind or 

 through the shoulder ; and remember that you have worked 

 days perhaps for the chance you will either take or miss in the 

 next few seconds. Remember that a man shoots over three times 



