228 D UTY OF MARKERS 



careful to walk slowly, and to abstain from talking ; 

 indeed, the most perfect silence should be maintained. 

 If this plan is carried out, a good bag may almost be 

 guaranteed. The chief difficulty rests in the ability 

 of the markers, etc., to keep the birds within the 

 boundary ; and this difficulty is very much increased 

 where the beat is, as is often the case, along the steep 

 side of a mountain. Where practicable, such ground 

 is better beaten ' along' the hill than up and down, as the 

 birds will be more easily visible to the marker during 

 the whole of their flight, and he will also be better 

 able, the first beat being taken along the top of the 

 hill, to keep them down on to the next beat. If, how- 

 ever, it is found, as sometimes happens, that the birds 

 will go over the hill, despite all efforts to the contrary, 

 it is wiser to leave the marker on the high ground, 

 whence he can command a better view of them, and 

 probably be able to turn them down, and to take the 

 lower beats of the hillside first. While the side of 

 the hill is being thus beaten, the coveys which are 

 flushed from time to time should be marked from the 

 top. 



It may be observed that when grouse light after 

 being flushed, they never settle down in a straight 

 line at the end of their flight, but invariably turn to 

 the right or left, and many yards away from the main 

 line of their course. On a windy day, even in August, 

 they will travel, after thus turning, from a hundred to 

 some three hundred yards before they settle. If they 

 go away out of sight, the marker may be able to form 

 some idea as to where they have lighted by the 

 line they were on. Where the hills are detached, 

 even on small beats, grouse are so unwilling to leave 



