144 HINTS ON GROUSE DRIVING. 



comes off. You stand a far better chance of attaining 

 this happy despatch with a small pack rising to 

 dogs sidewise, or a lot of partridges all making for 

 the same gap in a hedge. 



" Experientia docet " is as true as usual in grouse 

 driving, and the man who can keep his head best 

 amidst the whirr and whizzing of wings will kill 

 more birds in a bad butt even, than will the 

 neophyte who, however good a shot at walking up 

 birds, fails to account for his proper quantum, even 

 when luckily placed in the centre of the line, with 

 birds swarming round him like bees. 



One particular instance of the value of experience, 

 and a ready grasping of the situation, of which I 

 was an eye-witness in the next butt, occurs to my 

 memory at this moment. A small pack, consisting 

 of five grouse, were approaching Lord de Grey, who 

 was my next-door neighbour, and, as no birds 

 happened at that particular moment to be coming 

 my way, and five being a somewhat awkward 

 number to deal with, it was a favourable opportunity 

 to take a lesson. You or I, reader, would probably 

 have let off our first two barrels at the advancing 

 birds as soon as they arrived within ejisy range, 

 thinking ourselves fortunate had we deposed of a 

 couple with gun No. I, and the same number with 

 our second musket. If we had got off four barrels 

 in time to indulge in a chance shot at the remaining 

 bird, it would have been- when he was well away 



