PINE FOREST. 25 



beaters to assist in driving. Operations com- 

 menced by our forming a line, about a quarter of 

 a mile long, the shooters being placed as nearly 

 as possible equidistant from each other ; and thus, 

 with an extended front, we marched abreast 

 about a hundred yards up-hill, then wheeling to 

 the left, by word of command passed along from 

 the pivot flank, we drove the pine-forest dia- 

 gonally, over great variety of ground, now up to 

 our knees in heather, and now descending the 

 steep and rugged slope of a dry red sandstone 

 watercourse, or scrambling up the opposite bank, 

 and endeavouring all the time to preserve our line 

 as nearly as possible a difficult task while out of 

 sight of each other, or only catching an occa- 

 sional glimpse of the nearest beater on either 

 side. Every now and then a distant shot, or two 

 or three in succession, would tell that a buck had 

 been killed, or was running the gauntlet, or 

 perhaps that a blackcock had been sprung by the 

 beaters. As yet I had seen nothing in the way 

 of game, except a few hares, and having no 

 intention of throwing away my ammunition on 

 them, my gun remained still undischarged one 

 barrel loaded with buckshot, the other with No. 5 

 and I was just beginning to grumble at uiy 

 bad luck, when we emerged all at once from the 



