ig6 SHOOTING THE GROUSE 



your right than you supposed, which was swept in 

 sideways by the flank, and to which they wish to re- 

 turn ; and the other that the wind, the more imme- 

 diate reason, being here on their quarter, they can the 

 more easily slant across it, and are not obliged to 

 curve round under the ridge, as they would do if it 

 were at all against them. Remember that here they 

 will all come very fast, and though nothing would 

 really turn them, they will swerve and twist a good 

 deal if you make hasty or jerky movements just as 

 they approach you. This is another fruitful reason 

 of the wonderful ' luck ' usually ascribed to a first- 

 rate man. The duffer next to him exposes himself, 

 bobs or shifts about, and turns many a bird from 

 himself right towards the motionless form of his more 

 accomplished neighbour, such birds 'counting two 

 on a division ' as politicians would say. Here again, 

 if they are coming straight, as most of them will, 

 there can be no question of killing three or four, 

 except out of a big or streaming lot. Make sure of 

 your double shot, one in front and one behind, letting 

 the first one come pretty close to you before firing, 

 and swinging round like lightning for the second. To 

 this end make sure that your footing is secure, and 

 your loader so placed as not to interfere with your 

 movements, for when birds are coming very fast down 



