SPORT AND SCIENCE ON THE 



me. Thus the sound which now caused my 

 companions to look round in something approach- 

 ing trepidation, was to me the sweetest of music, 

 as I remembered the fine sport I had ah-eady had 

 with these birds. 



We hurried round the top of the ridge, and 

 having arrived at a point above the spinny whence 

 the calls had issued, we worked slowly down 

 through the young pines. We had not gone far 

 when three fine birds broke cover and went gliding 

 across the valley. The trees prevented anybody 

 shooting, but we carefully noted where the birds 

 settled. One lighted in a pine tree near the bottom 

 of the ravine, while the other two settled higher 

 up the slope, and in their usual manner began to 

 run upwards at top speed. Hurrying down we 

 approached the tree in which the bird had settled, 

 but nothing could be seen of it. Suddenly it 

 broke cover once more and I managed to get in a 

 shot that made the feathers fly. The bird con- 

 tinued, however, and reached the opposite slope. 

 Again we hurried across to the spot where it stopped, 

 but could find no trace of it. Jimmy, our pointer, 

 soon picked up the warm scent, however, and 

 there ensued a long and exciting chase through the 

 underbrush. None of us could see the quarry, 

 which was running with wonderful speed through 

 the dense hazel-scrub. At last Jimmy caught 

 it and held it till we came up. It turned out to 

 be a magnificent cock, which must have weighed 



68 



