LEAVES FEOM A GAME BOOK. 163 



grouse skimming over the wall barely a foot from his 

 head. It is easy enough to take a brace out of this 

 lot, for they are slowing in their flight preparatory to 

 settling on the stubble, while so keen are they on their 

 repast that often even after two or more barrels have 

 been fired they will yet alight, and then, fluttering up 

 on to the stooks, will commence to feed. When this 

 is done out of gunshot, the keeper on that side of 

 the field will quit his hiding-place to stroll gently 

 towards the birds, who, when disturbed, usually return 

 to the moor by the way they came. This time, how- 

 ever, there will be more satisfaction in getting a right 

 and left, for they are now driven birds coming best 

 pace, while often rising very high. 



Thus for two or three hours they will come to the 

 corn in twos and threes, and in coveys and packs, till 

 eventually the shooting scares them so much that they 

 begin to hesitate about returning, and instead of coming 

 boldly over the wall, they stop short and light on the 

 heather. Then it is indeed a pretty sight to peep through 

 the chinks in the wall and watch the movements of a big 



