112 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



were all convinced that the birds had been there all the 

 time. I have seen many instances of the same kind, and 

 more particularly with wing-tipped birds, but none I think 

 so tangible as this!" 



"Well, I am not a convert, Harry; but, as the Chancel- 

 lor said, I doubt." 



"And that I consider not a little, from such a positive 

 wretch as you are; but come, we have done breakfast, and 

 it's broad daylight. Come, Timothy, on with the bag and 

 belts; he breakfasted before we had got up, and gave the 

 dogs a bite." 



"Which dogs do you take, Harry ; and do you use cart- 

 ridge ?" 



"Oh! the setters for the morning; they are the only 

 fellows for the stubble; we should be all day with the 

 cockers; even setters, as we must break them here for 

 wood shooting, have not enough of speed or dash for the 

 open. Cartridges? yes! I shall use a loose charge in my 

 right, and a blue cartridge in my left ; later in the season 

 I use a blue in my right and a red in my left. It just 

 makes the difference between killing with both, or with 

 one barrel. The blue kills all of twenty, and the red all 

 of thirty-five yards further than loose shot; and they kill 

 clean !" 



"Yet many good sportsmen dislike them," Frank re- 

 plied ; "they say they ball !" 



"They do not now, if you load with them properly; 

 formerly they would do so at times, but that defect is now 

 rectified — with the blue and red cartridges at least — the 

 green, which are only fit for wild-fowl, or deer-shooting, 

 will do so sometimes, but very rarely ; and they will ex- 

 ecute surprisingly. For a bad or uncertain rifle-shot, the 

 green cartridge, with SG shot is the thing — twelve good- 

 sized slugs, propelled with force enough to go through an 

 inch plank, at eighty yards, within a compass of three 

 feet — but no wad must be used, either upon the cartridge 

 or between that and the powder ; the small end must be 

 inserted downward, and the cartridge must be chosen so 

 that the wad at the top shall fit the gun, the case being 

 two sizes less than the calibre. With these directions no 

 man need make a mistake; and, if he can cover a bird 

 fairly, and is cool enough not to fire within twenty yards, 



