198 'THE TWELFTH' 



that a man who had a few days ago killed a brace was 

 spoken of as having done wonders, I despaired of getting any ; 

 but, having travelled till I had scarcely strength from my 

 Peninsular wound to go farther, I was resolved, at all events, 

 to look at the moors and, if possible, see a live grouse, which I 

 had all my live been longing to do.' 



Well, there was no difficulty in seeing them ; he put up 

 about forty brace within half a mile of his inn ; but the 

 job was to get them within range. 



' At last, Nero came to a point, and, as luck would have it, 

 the brow of the hill was between him and his bird ; and I, by 

 creeping up, took him on the hop, fired directly he rose at 

 about 45 yards, and down I knocked him, in the act of crowing 

 at me a fine old cock grouse.' 



To one accustomed to read about or contribute to 

 latter-day bags of grouse, which are calculated hi 

 hundreds of brace, the gallant colonel's exultation over 

 a solitary cock may seem almost puerile ; but, I '11 go 

 warrant for it, his delight was as genuine and legiti- 

 mate, honest man! as that of any modern expert who, 

 supported by two or three loaders, ' downs ' four birds out 

 of every pack that passes over his butt. The fact is that 

 grouse-shooting, like too many other wholesome, harmless 

 recreations, has been made too much of a business. It 

 has been tainted by the poison of record-breaking, that 

 bane of all honest sport. If AB and his party kill 300 

 brace in a day, it is duly recorded in the newspapers, and 

 CD is restless and miserable till he has slaughtered 350 

 brace. 



