i82 SHOOTING THE GROUSE 



but still always ascending, we reach the first of the 

 line of butts. Now dismount and take your gun. 

 You have drawn No. 4 butt, which is sure to b'e a 

 good one ; and as we walk up to it from here, you 

 may kill a grouse, which, as the drivers are still miles 

 away, can do no harm. 



' Yak ! kak ! kak ! ' from close underneath No. 2 

 butt. Well done, very good shot ! but look beyond 

 there up the face at all those birds rising and going 

 back into the drive. No matter, they will come on 

 again. There is plenty of time, and you may gather 

 from where those birds rose, about three hundred 

 yards away, how difficult of approach the Yorkshire 

 grouse is even in the early days of August. But here 

 we are at our place, so let us get in and be ready for 

 action. Now take the centre of the butt yourself, put 

 half a dozen cartridges in your right-hand coat- pocket, 

 that you may be able to put one quickly into the gun 

 in case your loader should not be ready with your 

 second when birds are coming thick. Let him place 

 his bag of cartridges, well open, on the seat in the 

 left-hand corner of the butt close to his hand, and I 

 will crouch behind him rather to your right. Neither 

 of us is likely to jump up, so that you can swing 

 the gun round with freedom on both sides to shoot 

 behind. Look with care to the height of the front of 



