PARTRIDGE-SHOOTING 67 



therefore, the fewer the guns, the more shooting 

 each will obtain, which in partridge-driving is 

 entirely wrong, though it would not be if one had 

 conveniently placed tapering pieces of cover from 

 which to send the birds over the guns. Then 

 four good guns would be a great deal better than a 

 dozen duffers. But in the ordinary circumstances 

 of partridge-driving, the most incompetent shooters 

 are better than nothing at all, since they make 

 things better for others. Driven partridges are 

 difficult enough to hit at all times, and the straightest 

 shooting is worse than useless when the birds are 

 not within fair range. Forty yards is quite enough 

 between guns, and less is often better. Though, 

 theoretically at least, the first-barrel bird is taken in 

 front, any number of shooters seldom fire at all till 

 birds are past them ; besides, the height of fences 

 and of the birds frequently makes it impossible to 

 get in a shot in front. Therefore, assuming that 

 guns are sixty or seventy yards apart, even if 

 it were permissible to fire down the line, birds 

 passing half-way between two guns would be thirty 

 yards off or more at the nearest point. That means 

 it is not possible to get in the first barrel under 

 forty yards ; and a man would have to be a very 

 good shot, very quick, and very lucky to get a 

 brace. 



So when guns are too few it means that half the 

 birds which come on pass wide of a narrow frontage 



52 



