NORFOLK PARTRIDGES. 97 



Good men to know, these, extremely interesting and not the least so 

 when in the evenings after dinner before the grate fire one could 

 get them in competition with each other, firing tremendous charges 

 from old-fashioned expresses, at well remembered dangerous beasts 

 which they saw plainly enough and you could almost see through the 

 low hanging savoury murk of the tobacco smoke. 



We had very little changing to do this first morning at Compton 

 Hall because we had dressed in the sleeping compartment for the field. 

 While we breakfasted the others went on that the schedule might not 

 be broken ; we to follow in another motor as we could. 



Norfolk, at the place where we were shooting, comes very close to 

 the sea. Not over five miles from there to salt water, though we were 

 out of sight of it. For the most part, the country was quite level. 

 Beautiful, smooth roads like the best city streets ran between well- 

 kept hedges or alongside stone walls or park fences of sheep- and deer- 

 tight wire. Old country places, ivy clad churches, the sights and sounds 

 and scenes and smells of prosperous English farming lies on every side. 



As we motored nearer to where the guns were sounding I began 

 to realize that I had very little definite idea of what a partridge drive 

 might actually be like. I had read, of course, as we all have, but having 

 no local knowledge or particular reason to remember I had forgotten. 



I had a general impression, shared no doubt by many of my country- 

 men, that the way Englishmen and Scotchmen shot partridges and 

 pheasants and other game was something scandalous; sort of bird 

 murder, as it were, where the creature had no chance, and the man 

 too lazy or unskilful to walk his birds up and shoot them like a gentle- 

 man stood at his ease, or sat comfortably in a pleasant place and 

 butchered them by the barrel as they blundered into his vicinity. 



Now this shall be the telling of the true status of partridge driving, 

 a typical case, as I believe. 



We found the other motor standing at a crossroad and descended 

 to be met by two loaders, that is, men to carry our second guns and 

 to load them. This seemed ominous to me, but I was prepared to go 

 through the ordeal once, even though it did smirch my character as a 

 sportsman. I revised my opinion later as you shall see. 



Pegrim, a trim-built, intelligent young Englishman of twenty-five 

 or so, fell to my lot, while a heavy, round-bodied, gray-bearded Britisher, 

 " 'oo 'ad been loader for Lord C , sir " fell to the Chief. 



