46 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
eleven o’clock, we had bagged fifteen brace of birds. We 
had shot but few old males or matrons, so that nearly 
every one was fit for the table. 
As it was time to look after our rivals, in order to com- 
pare notes and partake of lunch, Miss Lucy decided to 
drive round the cornfield while I went through it to the 
opposite side. As the dogs would not follow me, I was 
compelled to act as my own pointer, but this was an easy 
matter, for by stooping down amid the stalks and sur- 
veying my surroundings, I could see any birds within 
close range. I espied two or three small packs in this 
manner, but they were off before I could get near enough 
to use the gun, as my brushing against the stalks alarmed 
them. I was able to get two snap shots however, one of 
which I scored, but the second bird got off without a 
touch, I fancy, as I saw it flying high and strong as soon 
as the smoke cleared away. I did not get another chance 
to fire until I was near the edge of the field, when an old 
cock rose up almost from under my feet, but ere he 
could get fairly on the wing I shot at him, and caused 
him to tower high, and before he could resume his horiz- 
ontal position somebody outside the field gave him a 
second barrel, which knocked small clouds of feathers 
out of him. He did not come down, however, until he 
received another round. On hastening out of the corn 
to see who had trenched on my rights, I saw my fair 
companion handling the dead bird, and on approaching 
her, she told me in a rather enthusiastic manner, that 
she had never seen a chicken tower so nicely. An ex- 
amination of its wounds proved that it had been hit in 
the breast, neck, and lower mandible, by several pellets, 
and this was probably the reason it had soared so well, 
for I have noticed that birds shot near the head tower 
much more than those hit in the posterior parts. 
Having bagged sixteen brace, we were rather anxious 
to meet the General and the Captain, to see how the 
