SHOOTING 17 



fashion to discover the secret of Lord Burling- 

 ham's success. 



I cannot, however, honestly recommend such 

 peculiar methods to all my readers. Alcohol 

 has a different effect upon different constitu- 

 tions; it stimulates one man and stupefies 

 another; and in the case of a sport such as 

 shooting, where cerebral agility and alertness 

 of vision are essential to success, an extra pint 

 or two of cherry-brandy at luncheon may often 

 play havoc with a man's chances of obtaining 

 a big bag. 



5. 



It is the irritating habit of every variety of 

 game, as is indeed notorious, to time its advent 

 for the moment when the sportsman's attention 

 has been temporarily diverted, or his thoughts 

 have wandered to some irrelevant matter that 

 has nothing whatever to do with the sport in 

 which he is engaged. 



When driving grouse or partridges this is 

 especially noticeable. At the commencement 

 of every drive the sportsman's eyes are con- 

 scientiously glued to the horizon, he is alert and 

 watchful, and it would seem impossible for any 

 bird to elude his observation. Gradually, how- 

 ever, a kind of mental lassitude supervenes; he 

 begins to think of his balance at the bank (if 



2 



