258 SHOOTING-LADIES 



be better employed. When we come to 

 the gun, however, I must say I cannot be 

 so moderate. Of course there are posi- 

 tions which, with some guns, do away 

 with the idea of ''kilHng" and suffering. 

 We all know men who stand out on the 

 covert side and kill their pheasants bird 

 after bird dead, so that the animals meet 

 an instantaneous, and, as far as we know, 

 painless death in the air. We are not all 

 like that, and sometimes we must own to 

 a bird off "with a leg down," or a 

 " runner." Now, we men don't trouble 

 to devote much thought to the feelings 

 of that *' runner," as, having gained some 

 hedgerow or similar shelter, he watches 

 the retriever approaching him with his 

 unerrinor nose on the line ; or that of the 

 other bird, which has cowered when he 



