316 SHOOTING 



As partridge-shooting is one of the cheapest 

 amusements, pheasant-shooting, on the otlier hand, 

 is one of the dearest. What with feeding the 

 young birds and doctoiing them, and the constant 

 watching they require when they are turned into 

 the cover ; and lastly, the large staff of beaters, the 

 calculation of ten shillings per head for every one 

 killed is not far beyond the mark. Pheasant- 

 shooting can really only be managed by one 

 method, and that is by having a body of well- 

 trained beaters ; so cunning are these birds that 

 there is no chance of giving your friends the 

 desired sport, if you do not have them. It is true 

 a very pleasant day may often be had on the out- 

 skirts of your grounds by going round with some 

 well-broken spaniels ; but for real pheasant-shooting 

 beaters are indispensable. A well- arranged and 

 successful beat requires almost as much general- 

 ship as an Ashanti campaign. The covers must 

 be watched from the earliest season, but the 

 watchers must show themselves as little as pos- 

 sible ; if the pheasants come out, they should put 

 them back by rattling a stick or shaking some 

 branches, for by showing themselves the chances 

 are that the pheasants would fly off at once, but 

 the rattle of a stick merely makes them run back 

 into cover. Then the corners where the}^ are to 



