Wild-Geese in Spain 119 



alert with a forest of necks erect, while an increasing volume 

 of gabbling attests their growing suspicion. Presently, with 

 redoubled outcry, they rise on wing, and now commences the real 

 science of our Spanish fowlers. The guns, after all, command 

 but a small segment of the circle — anywhere else the geese can 

 break out scathless — and this mischance it is the object of our 

 drivers and flankers to avert. No sooner does the gaggling band 

 shift its course to port or starboard than the " stop " on that 

 side is seen to be urging his horse in full career to intercept their 

 flight, yet using such judgment as will neither deflect their course 

 too much or turn them back altogether. Sometimes both flankers 

 and drivers are seen to be engaged at once, and a pretty sight 

 it is to the prostrate gunners to watch the equestrian mancBUvres. 



Presently the whole band head away for what appears the 

 only available outlet, and should they then pass directly over one 

 or other of the guns, are seldom so high but that a pair should 

 be secured right-and-left. 



In strong gales of wind the geese, on being driven, are apt, 

 instead of taking a direct course, to circle around in revolving 

 flight, gaining altitude at each revolution ; and in such case not 

 only come in very high but at incredible speed — mas lejeros que 

 za^xetas — swifter than teal, as Vasquez puts it. 



The first essential of success in driving wild-geese (and the 

 same applies to great bustard and all large winged game) is to 

 instal the firing-line as near as may be without disturbing the 

 fowl. The more remote the guns the greater the difiiculty in 

 forcing the game through the crucial pass. 



To manoeuvre single bands of geese as above, three or four 

 guns at most, with the same number of drivers, are best. A 

 great crowd of horsemen (such being never seen in these wilds) 

 unduly arouses suspicions already acute enough. With any 

 greater number of guns, it is advisable to extend the field of 

 operations to, say, two or three miles, thereby enclosing several 

 troops of geese — this requiring a large force of drivers. It does 

 not, however, follow that each of these enclosed troops will 

 "enter" to the guns; for should one pack come in advance, the 

 firing will turn t)ack the others. This mischance — or rather 

 bungle — may 1)e averted (or may not) by the leading driver 

 firing a blank shot behind so soon as the first geese are seen to 

 have taken wing. Needless to remark, once a shot has been fired 



