THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
Where the fields are small, two guns, accompanied by four or five 
keepers and beaters, may have excellent sport walking up, but it is 
most important, especially in a hilly country, or where fences are 
thick, to have a couple of active young men, who can climb trees, to 
serve as markers. These men should know the beat well, and take up 
their position in trees within sight of the guns and in the direction to 
which the beat is advancing. Each man should be provided with a whistle 
and a stout stick with a hook at one end to hang on the branches, and a 
small red flag. 
A system of signals must be established between the markers and the 
guns, so that they may readily give information of any birds that have 
been disturbed, and which they have been able to mark. 
For instance, a single prolonged note on the whistle, may mean a covey 
marked; two whistles, several coveys; three whistles, several scattered 
birds. 
When the guns are getting within range of him, the marker should 
give a low whistle and show his flag, in order that they may know his 
whereabouts, otherwise accidents may occur through the marker 
not being seen amongst the branches. By this means birds which 
have disappeared from the shooter’s sight will be more easily found, 
much time will be saved, and many pricked and towered birds will be 
recovered. 
When birds have been marked into a hedge, one gun will take each side, 
with a beater next the hedge, a good spaniel or steady retriever working 
the lee side; it is by no means so easy as one would think to make a cer- 
tainty of birds that pop out on your side and dash over the fence almost 
before you can get your gun up. 
By trying to pick out the old birds as often as possible (this is fairly 
easy early in September), a great deal of good will be done for the stock. 
It is as well to remember that partridges do not naturally lie in 
swedes, clover, or any other thick covert, with the exception of mangel 
or white turnips, which they sometimes go to during the heat of the day. 
Therefore all stubbles and grass fields must be walked in. If the weather 
is wet, they will not stay long in any thick covert, nor will they after four 
o’clock in the afternoon, as they will be wanting to get back to the stubbles 
for the evening feed. 
In walking up it is important to bear two or three principles in 
mind. 
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