70 UPLAND SHOOTING. 



wider and wider when they alight. If quickly handled, 

 you will have them scattered over fifteen or twenty acres 

 at the second or third flushing, which should not take 

 more than fifteen minutes in all; but even now turn your 

 attention first to any considerable number that may have 

 kept close together, and break and scatter every bunch as 

 fast as possible. You may now have 1,000 or 1,500 quail 

 fairly scattered over twenty or thirty acres of good 

 cover, and in a state of such alarm that they will trust 

 more to hiding than to their legs. Quite a number will 

 still run away on the sides, and at every report of the gun 

 some will rise and make off; but these latter will not fly far, 

 and will generally lie all the better w r hen they alight. If 

 you are wise, you will now tie your dog to a shady bush, lay 

 aside your heavy coat and all else that is unnecessary, for 

 unless you travel fast and work rapidly, too many of the 

 birds will yet steal away from you. 



Before you have advanced many steps, there is a sud- 

 den rustling in a bush of white sage, which the wild pea 

 has festooned with a wealth of brilliant pink; a little dark- 

 blue object whips out of the other side, and rises Avith a 

 sharp cliirp, chirp, chirp, and loud buzzing wings. A 

 puff of feathers rides the air behind it at the report of 

 your gun ; but away it goes. You have no time, however, 

 to watch it; for there is a whiz to the right, a buzz on 

 the left, a chirp, chirp, chirp, behind, a rustling of swift 

 little legs in a bush in front, and a dozen birds have 

 broken cover all around you at the sound of your gun. 

 Bang! goes your second barrel at one, whose rapid wings 

 make a dark haze around it as they fan the warm sun- 

 light. Another puff of white and blue feathers, with a 

 shade or two of cinnamon-color, comes back upon the air, 

 yet the bird goes gaily on, and with stiff -set wings sails 

 downward over a ridge as easily as if the shot had only 

 ballasted it for a swifter and steadier flight. 



