i86 ROUND THE GREAT WHITE HORSE 



in the snow, which had frozen on the top and enabled 

 those wary birds to run, though they were of course 

 very easily seen. We were watching a brace making 

 across a roughly ploughed field, where the snow lay in 

 the furrows and the ridges were bare, when a sparrow- 

 hawk dashed from a tree, pitched beside the leading 

 bird, and grabbed him by the back with one foot. 

 The two scuffled along together for a couple of yards, 

 and then the partridge shook himself clear, and got 

 into .the fence. Nor were his nerves at all upset by the 

 encounter, for he got out of it before we could come 

 within shot of him, and made ofF. 



We killed another bird coming down the hill, and 

 then wound in our kite, in case we might have another 

 difficulty with the tree, having only bagged twelve 

 birds and four hares. But if the powder had been 

 straight, we ought to have doubled that number. 



On the whole, shooting with a kite is unsatisfactory 

 work. It is a nuisance to have a machine out shooting ; 

 and if it goes wrong or gets hung up, it disconcerts 

 most people for the day. But if it is used, the success 

 of the day will depend mainly on the judgment with 

 which the man in charge of the kite works it. This 

 means experience, and my own is not sufficient to allow 

 me to dogmatize. 



