174 SHOOTING THE PHEASANT 



good dog and can afford to let him go at once. But 

 as this may disturb the ground for a quarter of a mile 

 ahead, avoid the contingency if you possibly can. 

 Here, again, to aim accurately and high enough is the 

 secret. Shoot just over his back, before he has got 

 too far if he be going straight away ; once he has got 

 beyond the comfortable distance he is as difficult a 

 creature to kill quite dead as a hare under the same 

 conditions, and that is saying a great deal. Whether 

 flying sideways or straight from you he will be rising 

 very fast, and it requires just a second's thought to 

 be sure not to miss him by shooting underneath. 



To sum up, I have endeavoured to make it clear 

 that to the average man of ordinary athletic habits 

 and good eyesight, it should not be a matter of great 

 difficulty to perform creditably at pheasant shooting. 

 We have boldly faced the question of the artificiality 

 of the sport as developed to-day ; but excepting in 

 wild countries, where the shy or ferocious denizens of 

 the region have to be pursued by the unaided astute- 

 ness of the single-handed hunter, there is invariably a 

 large element of this quality in all sports, and it is of 

 no use to cavil thereat. 



It is absurd any longer to regard the pheasant as 

 a rara avis, to secure which the exceptional qualities 

 of an eager and vigorous hunter are required ; he 



