Matchlock V. Breechloader 237 



had fallen rested against the barrel as I looked along 

 it. I aimed at the head — knowing that it would mean 

 instant death, and would also avoid shattering the 

 bird at so short a range ; besides which there would 

 be fewer scattered feathers to collect and thrust out 

 of sight into a rabbit bury. A reason why people 

 frequently miss pheasants in cover-shooting, despite 

 of their size, is because they look at the body, the 

 wings, and the tail. But if they looked only at the 

 head, and thought of that, very few would escape. 

 My finger felt the trigger, and the least increase of 

 pressure would have been fatal ; but in the act I hesi- 

 tated, dropped the barrel, and watched the beautiful 

 bird. 



That watching so often stayed the shot that at 

 last it grew to be a habit : the mere simple pleasure 

 of seeing birds and animals, when they were quite 

 unconscious that they were observed, being too great 

 to be spoiled by the discharge. After carefully get- 

 ting a wire over a jack ; after waiting in a tree till a 

 hare came along ; after sitting in a mound till the 

 partridges began to run together to roost ; in the end 

 the wire or gun remained unused. The same feeling 

 has equally checked my hand in legitimate shooting : 

 time after time I have flushed partridges without firing 

 and have let the hare bound over the furrow free. 



