NORFOLK PARTRIDGES. 101 



We were not giving all our attention to partridges. There was one 

 fine long stretch of wood, three-quarters of a mile from end to end, 

 and forty yards through which, intelligently beaten, turned out at least 

 two hundred pheasants. We did not kill them all. 



Where the guns were out some distance from the trees the birds 

 came over from forty to sixty yards high. They took a lot of stopping, 

 two and three barrels, all hits, were sometimes necessary to bring down 

 a bird, and then very frequently he was a runner. For these the 

 retrievers, two or three being held in leash by the beaters, quickly 

 demonstrated their usefulness. 



I recall one cock pheasant which did a most extraordinary stunt. 

 He broke cover and for some reason, quite obscure, swung around at 

 the right flank of the line and started for number one. He received 

 the salute from this gun, three barrels. It is true he was high, fifty 

 yards. 



Instead of turning then, and making good his escape he came on 

 directly over number two, who fired in turn. Then the bird to number 

 three, four, five, six and seven, until at eight, who happened 

 to be the chief, the bird came down. For myself I think it was sheer 

 weight of shot. He was so full of shot he could not fly any further. 



Perhaps I did not say, although I should, that after each beat the 

 guns gave way two places to the left. Here, as at most shoots, a 

 drawing for places marked the beginning of a day's sport. Thereafter 

 the guns held their numbers as they were gained by giving way after 

 each beat. 



With the eight guns we gave way two, subsequently with other num- 

 bers of guns in the line, we gave way one place, and sometimes two. 

 On the first day at Norfolk for instance I began as number eight, and 

 then passed at the next beat to number two. 



Returning to those high pheasants which were rocketing out of the 

 west woods in grand style and giving us all the shooting anyone could 

 possibly want; I told you of the one which traveled from one end 

 of the line to the other, from the right end to the left, drawing the 

 fire of all until he fell at the end of the line. But I have not told 

 you about an experience near this same wood which caused me con- 

 siderable misery at the time and threatened for a moment to take away 

 all pleasure from my shooting. 



