344 THE COMPLETE SHOT 



more or less, and pretty difficult to turn when the wind has got 

 them, but not so your black game ; they smell danger from afar, 

 often only suspect it, but as they are like wild ducks, not slaves 

 but kings of the wind, they will act upon their suspicion, because 

 it is nothing to them to beat up against a wind, and besides, 

 they are careless how long they fly. You cannot drive wild 

 ducks, nor pigeons, nor black game, if they suspect your purpose. 

 But when things are well managed they give great sport. 

 Usually they will not, like a grouse, almost knock your cap off 

 by rushing past your butt too near to shoot. They will be well 

 up and look to be going easy. There they deceive, for they 

 will be coming quite as fast as grouse if it is down a moderate 

 wind, and if up wind very much faster, so that the lead, or 

 allowance, and swing required is far more likely to be under 

 than over done. 



The author has taken part in killing 40 brace of black cock 

 in a day, with no more excuse than that it was good for the 

 dogs ; but the kind of shooting in which anyone may be proud 

 of a good score is in driving. Then the shooters have every 

 right to gratification, but the drivers have far more. Late in 

 the season, when black game are fit to drive, they sit up in the 

 fir trees to look out for the enemy. They are so still in the 

 dark Scotch pines that you may not see a bird as you go to 

 take up your stand, but possibly the quarry has been watching 

 all the time, and has observed not only the shooters but the 

 drivers. Then your black game will probably be able to get 

 away by the flanks, or if not, like the wild ducks, they may 

 remember that there is always room at the top. In other words, 

 they have the habits of game birds in August and of wood 

 pigeons and wild duck in October. They are only unsatis- 

 factory because the young birds are too confiding to shoot, and 

 the old ones too artful to get shot. 



The Duke of Buccleuch has had great sport with black 

 game on his Drumlanrig Castle estate, but his best years there 

 were a long time ago ; the birds have been gradually growing 

 fewer ever since. His very best year was in 1861, when 1586 

 black game were killed. This total upon an estate of more 



