86 THE COMPLETE SHOT 



case a neighbour hits a bird that is obviously going away to 

 die? It seems to depend on what your neighbour would 

 wish : a bad sportsman, if that is not a paradox, may 

 ask you why you are shooting his dead birds. That is only 

 because he would rather run the risk of leaving wounded game 

 than lose the off chance of claiming another bird. But a good 

 sportsman would generally know by the appearance of the 

 game whether it was likely to fall within reasonable distance; 

 also he would know that by the unwritten laws of sport first 

 blood constitutes ownership without any claim being made, 

 and there should be no false pride that prevents wounded 

 creatures being added to the bag as expeditiously as possible. 

 There is another consideration. It is the worst possible form 

 to cause much time to be occupied in looking for wounded 

 game. It spoils the sport. 



At the same time, one who values the good opinion of others 

 will avoid a practice of sharing birds, or shooting at those more 

 properly the targets of the next man. There is often a doubt 

 as to whose shot a bird properly is. It is not good that both 

 shooters should decline the chance for the sake of the other, 

 but generally one man knows the other's form so well, that if 

 the latter does not take the bird at one particular instant of 

 time, it may be taken as left alone for the former to deal with. 



Probably anyone who remembers the sound advice given in 



"Be to others kind and true, 

 As you'd have others be to you," 



will make no mistake in shooting form, and will certainly never 

 allow his gun to rake the flanks of his neighbours as he swings 

 his body in walking in line, nor will he allow a gun at any 

 instant, loaded or unloaded, in loading or unloading, to point 

 at anybody for a fraction of a second. Besides which, he will 

 rather let off a dozen woodcocks, unshot at, than run the risk 

 of putting out beaters' eyes, or of being told that, "although 

 that gun seems so harmless on the game, it has probably got 

 some shot in it." Besides this, a shooter is responsible for the 

 care, and also the appearance of care, of his loader, and the two 



