WALKING UP 175 
middle of the field, having heard that danger has 
passed by on each outside, and gone beyond them, 
will, when they rise, begin to turn in and fly back 
over the centre and other guns. Then comes the 
trial of patience and careful shooting. The bird 
which rises at your feet, if you are, say, No. 4 or 5, 
tempting as he is, you must not fire at, for he flies 
straight for the head of No. 2 gun, and so on till 
the end of the field. It need hardly be added that 
the swinging curling shots afforded by the birds 
coming back are most difficult, and therefore enjoy- 
able when successfully dealt with, and it is wonderful 
to see a covey rise inside the magic half-circle, and at 
once come back straight over the centre or sides. 
It must be borne in mind that partridges, being 
very close to the ground, are very sensitive to sound, 
and they hear the rattle of a man’s feet very quickly 
as it comes to them under the turnip leaves. It is 
this which causes them to turn back. They have 
probably not seen the outside men, but they have 
heard their tread as they passed by, and may even 
have seen their feet as they look along the drills (for 
half-mooning should always be done across the drills 
where possible). The centre, lying far back and not 
having yet moved much, the birds have not become 
aware of, and so knowing that danger has passed by 
