55 



your perceptible increase of attention: get 

 directly ahead of the bird; your gun in the 

 left hand, ready (observe, I do not admit it to 

 be cocked), and your whip in the other, or in a 

 situation where you may immediately command 

 it. Pause ; and, awing him into firmness with 

 " TAKE HEED !" extend your right hand, stoop- 

 ing, until you grasp the bird ; but no dash ; 

 no, not of the last few inches from it : and if 

 such attempt should be made by him (for by 

 this time he can not but perceive the object), 

 thump let the but-end of your gun come down 

 upon his nose ; have a care that it be not some 

 inches higher; or rather let a tremendous cut 

 of the whip, accompanied with the fiercest chal- 

 lenge of " WARE DEAD !" restrain his violence. 



It is not probable, however, that your bird, 

 evidently, from its lively appearance as it lies, 

 only winged or staggered, will bear all this close 

 approach : it springs under your hand, and flut- 

 ters off. Untutored flesh and blood can not 

 support this. Endeavour to arrest him with 

 your loudest thunder of " WARE CHASE ! WARE 

 DEAD!" and coolly wait, your gun now cocked 

 and ready, in hope of the extension of this 

 flutter, or perhaps flight, to an easy distance, 

 for a shot which you can not miss : but it is 

 weak, and flutters down ; gets on foot a little 



