THE GUN 117 



much nearer to the wild covey or the pack though 

 he makes no effort to approach them softly or to 

 hide himself than can the solitary gunner. 



This wariness of the wild creature, at once how 

 great and how little it is ! Eye or ear or nose it is 

 by these that the hunted bird or beast can shun 

 danger. These defences have been wrought to per- 

 fection. Ear of a rabbit, nose of a deer, in their in- 

 stant and exquisite sensitiveness might be likened to 

 the wonderful instruments of the earthquake watcher. 

 They register with its faithfulness and utmost delicacy. 



Steal on the nibbling rabbit, and his ear may give 

 him warning, though you are forty yards away, tread- 

 ing tip-toe on a mossy woodland walk, and his back is 

 turned to you. As for the deer, though the air seem 

 still he may get wind of his stalker a mile away. 

 This is the strong part of the wild creature's defensive 

 armour, the equipment of the physical senses hear- 

 ing, smelling, seeing. The weak parts, chinks hi the 

 armour, are those of the mind. They lack the power 

 to reason out danger, to avoid the enemy by taking 

 elementary thought. The rook, with its untold gene- 

 rations of experience, has learned nothing of the danger 

 and distress in its habit of living in rookeries. Spring 

 after spring its young are shot, it is thrown into fear 

 and confusion. Yet it persists in its rookeries; and 

 will be persisting a thousand years hence. The rook 

 cannot convert crude ore of experience into gold coin 

 of wisdom ; and it is, I suppose, much the same with 



