252 A GAMEKEEPER'S NOTE-BOOK 



up at home, while her master went to shoot some 



rooks. She was the proud mother of five new-born 



puppies, but her litter was not complete. A 



Born f ew rooks had been shot, and the keeper was 

 Retriev- ., , 



waiting for others to appear, when up ran 



the retriever carrying a rook in her mouth ; 

 somehow she had managed to get out, arid had followed 

 to see the sport. She was sent back to her 

 puppies, and directly she reached home two new 

 puppies were born. They were born, as one might 

 say, retrieving. 



* * * 



The most common type of gunner is the man who 

 kills frequently, but is not a good shot because he 

 does not know how to take his birds. He 

 Some would double his bag if he would put every 

 Types ' shot a foot farther forward that golden 

 foot forward if he would not fire when in 

 the act of turning (which must depress the gun's 

 muzzle), and if he would remember that driven birds 

 on seeing a man rise immediately and instinctively, 

 even at right angles to their line of flight. The keeper 

 detests the man who continually sends him to pick 

 up game which has never fallen. For these knowing 

 gentlemen, he is a wise keeper who carries a special 

 bird or two in his pocket, against the time when they 

 say, in their haughty way, " Aw, my man, kindly 

 pick up my bird that fell tha-ar ! " 



The luckiest shot we ever met was a colonel who, 



