xx INTROD UCTOR Y 



we tried to hold our guns straight, the worse we succeeded. 

 This would never do ; so we called a halt, took a longish rest, 

 breakfasted, and drank a bottle of beer apiece, a thing we 

 seldom did until the day's sport was over ; but to-day it was 

 a case of " a hair of the dog that bit one," and we felt greatly 

 refreshed. When we commenced to shoot again, the sun was 

 well up, the birds lay better, and we commenced to knock 

 them over right and left, much to the amazement of our 

 followers ; from jeering they took to praising, and though we 

 had done so badly in the morning, I don't think either of us 

 ever shot better in our lives than that day after breakfast, and 

 we took home thirty-four couple between us. 



