<OVER DOGS' 105 



the chances, and obtain what satisfaction he may 

 from achieving much the larger share of the bag. But 

 a few hints may help a man who is not an adept to 

 avoid finding himself always in the position of second 

 best, or trying too severely the temper or good manners 

 of his more accomplished companion. 



We will suppose that your dogs are well handled and 

 steady, and that there is a fairly good scent, a breezy, 

 pleasant day, and enough birds on the ground to 

 reward you for hard work and good shooting, while 

 for it is the object of this work to assist, if pos- 

 sible, those who have something to learn you are 

 alongside a man who is much your superior, possibly 

 a past master of the art. The first thing to note care- 

 fully and incessantly is the wind. This you must 

 bear in mind all the time ; otherwise, when you see a 

 point, you will be quite at sea as to where the birds 

 are likely to be lying. There is no doubt that a 

 wind blowing across the ground you are beating is 

 altogether the best ; and supposing that you have 

 as your allotted beat the long 'face' of a hill, with 

 cultivated ground or pasture along the lower side, and 

 the march on or just over the ridge on the upper, with 

 the wind blowing downwards, it will be best to begin 

 at the bottom, and work across and across till you 

 have' beaten the whole face, and pushed all the birds 



