144 SHOOTING THE PHEASANT 



east end, but so as to leave a belt, as it were, of, say, 

 30 yards wide or more. Each time you wheel the 

 line, the birds in front of you, being given plenty of 

 time as before, will run across in the shelter of this 

 belt and towards the flush. Should the rides you use 

 be old ones, running right through to the east edge of 

 the wood, they must be made up or screened with 

 artificial covert, so that the pheasants will not fear 

 to cross. A careful stop or two must be left after 

 each beat in this thick belt. In walking up each 

 beat the right hand may be kept a little forward, 

 and the wheel begun a good way before reaching 

 the end. 



By this means, still preserving the system of not 

 getting too near the birds, they will be constantly 

 pushed before you towards the east end, and then 

 turned across towards the flush. You will not be able 

 to do this in a wood of this shape without flushing a 

 few here and there, some of which will break across 

 to the end already beaten. To meet this, keep two 

 or three guns always ahead of the line on the north 

 side, leaving the south side, that towards the flush, 

 always open. 



In the last beat you will find a good many birds, 

 and must go more gingerly than ever, with perhaps 

 half your guns forward of the line on the north side ; 



