HINTS ON GROUSE DRIVING. 133 



ing. No, no ; a quiet private understanding with his 

 keeper before starting, and a selection of the leeward 

 butt, often effect most astonishing results, and your 

 astute entertainer greatly, of course, to his own 

 astonishment when " tottling up " time comes 

 walks in an easy first at the head of the poll. 

 Ahem! 



This card is shown for seven drives and seven guns 

 in the party. Should there be an even number of 

 the latter, it is better for them to move up only one 

 each time. Of course, the number of birds picked up 

 at each butt are pencilled in after every drive, or 

 sometimes double drive ; and the grand day's total 

 for each gun is compared when all is over and the 

 shades of night are near, with the absolutely correct 

 list held by the man with the cart, in whom there is 

 no variableness, and whose dictum is gospel. Some 

 very curious discrepancies are apt to creep in about 

 this period, and afford ample food for conversation 

 over the wine and the walnuts. 



As the large grouse drives generally take place 

 in September and the early part of October some 

 moors being actually driven even on Aug. 12, when 

 birds are forward and well grown there is plenty 

 of light to serve out six, seven, or even eight drives 

 in the day ; although these arrangements depend, of 

 course, very much upon the distance that the drivers 

 have to travel, and also the ground to be got over 

 by the guns between each drive. Naturally a double 



