216 SHOOTING THE GROUSE 



which your shot will intercept the bird's flight, and 

 throwing your gun directly and quickly upon it, is 

 the only one by which you can compete with the 

 endless variety of angle, curve, elevation and pace, 

 which lends to the flight of driven grouse its un- 

 doubted fascination. There can be no 'knack' in 

 excelling at a sport which presents this feature in the 

 highest degree of all. The individual driven grouse 

 which comes straight at your nose on a still day is 

 easy enough, but these are the ' half-volleys ' of grouse 

 driving, and to hit them does not necessarily make 

 you a good bat. It is a very different matter to realise 

 the proper total from a succession of fine drives under 

 varying conditions of light, locality and wind ; and 

 when the day comes that you have achieved this, in 

 first-rate form from start to finish, you will sleep like 

 a public-school boy who has made 100 at Lord's, or 

 a Prime Minister who has carried a great measure 

 through the Commons by a triumphant majority, per- 

 haps the two most enviable achievements known in 

 this country. 



