PARTRIDGE-SHOOTING 67 
therefore, the fewer the guns, the more shooting 
each will obtain, which in partridge-driving is 
entirely wrong, though it would not be if one had 
conveniently placed tapering pieces of cover from 
which to send the birds over the guns. Then 
four good guns would be a great deal better than a 
dozen duffers. But in the ordinary circumstances 
of partridge-driving, the most incompetent shooters 
are better than nothing at all, since they make 
things better for others. Driven partridges are 
difficult enough to hit at all times, and the straightest 
shooting is worse than useless when the birds are 
not within fair range. Forty yards is quite enough 
between guns, and less is often better. Though, 
theoretically at least, the first-barrel bird is taken in 
front, any number of shooters seldom fire at all till 
birds are past them; besides, the height of fences 
and of the birds frequently makes it impossible to 
get in a shot in front. Therefore, assuming that 
guns are sixty or seventy yards apart, even if 
it were permissible to fire down the line, birds 
passing half-way between two guns would be thirty 
yards off or more at the nearest point. That means 
it is not possible to get in the first barrel under 
forty yards ; and a man would have to: be a very 
good shot, very quick, and very lucky to get a 
brace. 
So when guns are too few it means that half the 
birds which come on pass wide of a narrow frontage 
5—2 
