OVER DOGS' 115 



who seem to think more of their beasts' coats or 

 pedigrees than of their noses, is not the poetry of 

 shooting over dogs. It is when the breeze is cool 

 and keen, the heather wet from last night's rain, or 

 glistening from a slight touch of early frost; when the 

 distant range stands like Soracte, toweringly white 

 with snow; when the burns run brown and full, the 

 oats are ripened, and the hill-face is growing redder 

 and more golden; when the river trout are stiff to rise, 

 and the blackcock has almost his full tail then is the 

 time when to follow a brace of good dogs, both you 

 and they in first-rate trim, and to make a bag of 

 grouse, is worth the doing. 



For this reason, revolutionary as it may seem, I 

 would, supposing that you wish both to drive and 

 walk your ground, drive it first and walk it afterwards. 

 By so doing you will spare many young birds which 

 should be left for breeding, you will get more shoot- 

 ing and less waiting and exposure for your drives, and 

 sport better worth having and under pleasanter con- 

 ditions, granted you pick your days, for your shooting 

 over dogs. 



The plugging at very young birds in the early days 

 when the weather is hot, and many of them could be 

 (or are) taken by the keeper with his hand, when dogs 

 and men get knocked up before the day is half over, 



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