THE FRINGE OF THE MOOR' 241 



see a pack of a hundred or more blackcocks coming 

 straight at your face, and on about the same level 

 a sight never to be forgotten, and one that makes 

 your heart beat faster and your hand tremble lest you 

 bring ridicule upon yourself by missing these great 

 ponderous objects as they come by you so close that 

 you could almost touch them. The missing is easier 

 than you would think, and we all know who have 

 tried it how simple it is to shoot behind a black- 

 cock, looking as big as a turkey, and seeming to 

 be going very slow, within fifteen or twenty yards. 

 Nothing will avail you but absolute confidence in 

 your own shooting powers and a complete disregard 

 of the disturbing personality of the quarry. You 

 must shoot as at a driven partridge, if anything a 

 shade more forward, and with more rather than less 

 accuracy. With these precautions you will strike the 

 bird in the head and neck, and he will collapse as 

 easily as the aforesaid partridge. Without them, or 

 if you should vainly try to kill two or three at a shot, 

 you will inevitably miss altogether, or see your bird 

 flinch and disappear, as you think, ' cut to ribbons.' 

 This means that he will fly half a mile, rise again 

 about fifty yards in front of your dog, and gaily fly 

 on, never to be seen again ; or wheel round and re- 

 turn contemptuously over your head, at the height 



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