224 SPORTING AND 



ling, though I must own I envied the 

 animal the splendid skin with which he 

 walked off. We now got plenty of shots, 

 and our stock of game increased satis- 

 factorily, but we ought to have bagged 

 more than we did : whether it was 

 nervousness or the effects of the fever I 

 cannot say, but my companion missed 

 some very easy shots ; I fancy it was from 

 firing too soon. If sportsmen would 

 only allow their game to get away some 

 forty yards before firing they would have 

 a very much greater chance of killing, for 

 the shot then expands and covers a 

 greater radiance ; whereas, firing at a bird 

 the moment he is on the wing is very 

 imprudent, for the shot has not time to 

 separate, but goes like a bullet, and if it 

 does hit the object it almost blows it to 

 pieces ; after all, perhaps this has one 



