124 SHOOTING THE PHEASANT 



low or flat ground, with a bloodthirsty keeper pushing 

 pheasants out into the faces of the embarrassed 

 shooters. This is usually done in deference to his 

 ignorant desire that a heavy bag should be made ; 

 and, in modern days at least, usually defeats its own 

 object. It is first necessary to understand that more, 

 not fewer, birds will be killed if put over the guns at 

 a fair distance than if driven past them at a close one. 

 Modern shooters have, as a rule, mastered the first 

 principles of courtesy and safety, and it is only the 

 typical foreign count, or the small provincial gunner, 

 who only get one day's covert shooting in the year, who 

 can be induced to maim, slay, and smash a quantity of 

 slow pheasants at close quarters. We are all supposed 

 to do it —in some of the daily papers ; as a matter of 

 fact we do not, and, what is more, we do not intend 

 to. However much the owner or keeper may desire a 

 large total, he is not likely to get it in this way, for no 

 practised shot worthy of the name will even shoot at 

 birds flying too low and too close. 



I have said that the first principle is to push 

 pheasants on their feet as far as possible, and bring 

 them back on the wing. In this way you may be 

 sure of getting them to fly well in the homeward 

 direction, and can therefore intercept them as you 

 wish. But, whether you drive them from home or 



