94 CHAPTER XIV. 



the moving muzzle when he pulls the trigger. A self evident fact, you 

 say. Well, I admit it. Stupid of a man to do it. I agree. But just 

 the same I find it not such an easy fault to avoid. 



I did the same thing a few minutes later when in response to in- 

 structions from Campbell I was moving along the edge of a hill when 

 another fine cock broke above me and sailed on to the trees, untouched 

 by my two charges intended for him. 



You can imagine by this time I was somewhat earnestly bent upon 

 killing the next bird, and in view of that fact it might be well to de- 

 scribe the next bird's doings. We climbed the hill and on the level 

 above us saw a cottage, marked off from us by a stone wall. Over 

 the stone wall I could see turnip tops. 



The keeper found spots for Campbell and I where we waited, while 

 he went into the turnips, to beat out what might be there. He com- 

 menced at the far side and he had scarcely started when a gulden 

 brown hen pheasant flushed in front of us and came actually sizzling 

 down half a yard high between Campbell's stand and mine. 



I waited for him and he waited for me until she had passed us both, 

 then each of us, with the same impulse, slammed two loads at her 

 without avail. I excused myself for that, saying it was not quite a fair 

 shot, because I waited for Campbell, and then I was flurried when I 

 did fire. 



But hear now about the next bird. This was a grand old cock. 

 He came like a meteorite, fairly burning up the air, and he looked as 

 big as a turkey. Plenty of time; I saw him a hundred yards away 

 from me as he came, and then missed him ; blam-blam-blam ! Three 

 shots from the automatic, every one behind him. Honestly I felt like 

 taking the gun by the muzzle and breaking it over the stone wall. 



You've all been there, unless you are in that never-miss class which 

 gets no real pleasure out of shooting anyhow. 



After this, in a few moments, two cocks flushed about the same time, 

 and flew toward me, one to come directly over my head, the other to 

 my right front, the side away from Campbell. AS if I had never 

 missed a bird in my life, I swung first upon the one overhead and 

 then the one to my right, and they hit the ground, dead birds, not 

 three seconds apart. 



