CH. XL] LOAD BEFORE YOU BAG. 185 



315. I casually asked Mr. H h what kind of sport he had 



had in Aberdeenshire with Sir W m F n. He replied, " The 



pleasantest imaginable. One day we killed forty-six brace, and 



bagged every feather. Indeed, F n never loses a bird. I have 



actually known him, when his dogs were young, spend a full half 

 hour in hunting for a dead bird ; nothing would induce him to give 

 up. The consequence is, that now he never loses one by any chance. 

 He broke in the dogs entirely himself : he would seldom allow his 

 keeper to say a word to them. He was always very patient ; and 

 he is well rewarded for his trouble." Why not take the same trouble 

 and obtain a like reward ? This was true sport ! What battue- 

 shooting could compare with it ? 



316. I hope you will not say, as would most of our 

 neighbours * on the other side of the Channel : " But if, 

 instead of waiting to load, I had gone after the winged 

 bird just as it fell, when first I saw it start off running, 

 the evil you have now spoken of (312) could not have 

 occurred, for there would have but been little risk of losing 

 it." Probably not, but you would have almost ruined 

 your dog ; and to secure this one bird, in all likelihood 

 you would subsequently lose a hundred.-f- How could 

 you with justice blame him if, when next you killed, he 

 rushed headlong after the bird (instead of dropping 

 patiently to the " down charge "), and so sprung a dozen 

 birds while you were unloaded ? 



317. Perhaps you will say, "You tell me to fire at a 

 running bird, but when a winged cock-pheasant or red- 

 legged partridge is racing off out of shot, how am I to 

 get it, if I proceed in the slow, methodical manner you 

 advise ? May it not lead me an unsuccessful dance for 



* In favour of such unsports- pening that a partridge gets up 



man-like haste they ingeniously the moment the guns have left 



argue that a continued noise after the spot, though t no previous 



firing makes birds lie, from at- noise had induced it to stir, 

 tracting their attention. They t Had you lost the bird from 



say that a sudden change to quiet there being but little scent, it is 



(and a great change it must be, probable you might have found it 



for a chasseur is always talking) by renewing your search on your 



alarms the birds. As an evidence return homewards in the evening, 



of this, they adduce the well- If a runner, it would most likely 



known fact of its frequently hap- have rejoined the covey. 



