HINTS ON GROUSE DRIVING. 131 



quiescent until the "evening tide, when the dinner 

 bell brings them back. The Bromhead grouse are 

 very domestic they always come home to tea ; 

 and as the two moors are never driven on the same 

 or following days, no loss of birds actually accrues ; 

 but ere the return flight has commenced, sport is 

 over for the day, the guns are dressing for dinner, 

 and neither Schultze nor shot vex the return of the 

 wanderer. 



The proceedings of one day's grouse driving are, 

 except in minor matters of detail, so much alike 

 another, that a short description of the usual routine 

 will suffice to put those who have not assisted at any 

 of these high carnivals quite au courant with the 

 recognised practice of the north. After breakfast, a 

 movable feast (I have had to) toy with a rasher at 

 6.30 a.m., but nine is more usual, and a more Christian- 

 like circumstance), the draw the really most impor- 

 tant personal portion of the proceedings takes 

 place, your fate for the day, and to a great extent 

 your good or evil repute for the evening, being there- 

 by decided by Dame Fortune. In old days a few 

 numbers pencilled on gun wads, extracted from the 

 host's pocket, constituted the rough-and-ready method 

 of settling this important question. Nowadays we 

 are more scientific. And a printed card somewhat 

 similar to the rough illustration on p. 132 is handed to 

 each gun before starting. Should the number of 

 sportsmen be uneven, each moves up two butts after 



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