DRIVING 141 
bird with both barrels, and by a fluke I killed it 
quite dead at about seventy yards off, close to the 
boundary ; but the dog who retrieved the birds, and 
who was allowed loose during the bye-shooting, was 
careering about some eight or ten yards in front, and 
between me and the bird. Instead of rushing after 
it, he yelled and ran in among us, with his tail down, 
whimpering ; a shot from my gun had penetrated his 
head through the thick hair, and drawn blood. That 
it was a diverging or dropping shot was proved by 
my having the luck to kill the bird, the line of which 
was much above him, while the force with which it 
struck him was remarkable. But they used to chaff 
and call out, ‘Who shot the dog?’ to me often 
afterwards, and I have never fired directly over any 
one since, except ata high elevation. The gunmaker’s 
assistants present, men who are constantly ‘plating’ 
guns, told us that so well did they know this danger 
that they never allowed one of their own dogs to run 
about in front when they were shooting trials. Yet 
I have seen men who are good and careful shots 
plugging away at birds coming at them over the fence, 
with their loving wives or children sitting under it, 
and exactly exposed to this risk. Close behind the 
gun and his loader, in a sitting or kneeling posture, is 
the safest and most convenient place for spectators. 
