140 SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 
one at which a first-rate man would kill a good 
many birds in the course of a good day’s driving, 
while though it would be rather a close shot to 
the line for D., yet, if the bird were fairly high he 
would be justified in taking it ; but he would in that 
case be at exactly the right distance and elevation to 
blind the people at #. The point that it gives the guns 
two lines of danger to bear in mind, instead of one, is 
also an important one, and considering the number 
of accidents that have taken place through people 
forgetting one line, it is not fair or right to add to the 
risk by making a second. N either are they really safe 
from A. himself, if he is to fire, as he certainly should, 
at birds coming straight to him over the fence and 
over their heads. There is always danger of dropping, 
or, to speak more correctly, diverging shot below the 
point aimed at. I had a very practical experience of 
this, which is worth quoting. At the Gun Club we 
used to allow ‘byes,’ that is, trial birds, before the 
competition began. As we were only allowed one 
each, we used to back each other up, so that, if the 
shooter whose bye it was missed it altogether, we got 
a shot at it to try and wipe his eye after he had done 
with it! I backed up somebody who missed his 
1 This ‘ backing up’ has long since been forbidden both at 
the Gun Club and Hurlingham. 
