170 SHOOTING THE PARTRIDGE 
Again, it is all-important, as often happens, to push 
birds forward, and when your whole force has to enter 
the field by one gateway or gap, the more quietly 
your right and left wings spread out and the advance 
begins the better. This must be done in silence, and 
the whole line will then be behind the birds before they 
are fully aware of it, and as a natural consequence 
when they hear the rattle of the advancing force they 
will strive to get away forward. There are often birds 
lying to the right or left of the line, not far into the 
field, and near the side fence. If your spreading 
out to get into line is done too slowly or noisily, these 
birds, which will not sit very long after they are aware 
of danger in the same field, will inevitably rise, and 
possibly go out over the side fence where you do not 
wish them to go, before the gun which should advance 
opposite to them has got to his place. Of course, 1 
am here presuming that you are handling a line of four 
or six guns, and probably taking a whole field at a time. 
I would then recommend also that the flank beater 
should walk say ten or fifteen yards in advance of the 
rest, to keep the birds towards the forward centre, 
the point aimed, at. This position of the outside 
beater or gun is an important one, and it is essential 
that the formation should be as shown on next page, 
in fig. 11, if it is desired to keep birds by this means 
away from one side or the other. 
