248 
FRANK FORESTER’S FIELD SPORTS. 
Still desperate runs, and desperate riding do occur, and me 
judice Harry W., of South Carolina, for whose “ workman¬ 
like style of putting a certain small bay horse over the coun¬ 
try,” Mr. Porter vouches on page 351 of Hawker on Shooting, 
describes there and thereabouts as pretty a burst which he rode 
on “ Daredevil,” in Mississippi, as I have ever seen from “ Bil- 
Jesdon Coplowe,” “ Misterton Gorse,” or across the “ Whissen- 
dine.” 
This sport I have never had the fortune to enjoy on this side 
of the water, though I trust that I may do so during the com¬ 
ing winter, after which, I dare say, I shall find reason to alter 
my present opinion, which decidedly now leans to the side, 
that Deer-hunting in America is rather slow work. 
I have no remarks to make on any of these kind of sports, 
except to hint to stand-shooters for Deer, that they cannot too 
carefully adapt the color of their clothes and caps to the preva 
lent colors of the foliage at the time being, and to stand perfectly 
still when a Deer is approaching. These animals, timid as they 
are, will often come directly up to a man in full view, if he move 
no limb, and more especially avoid turning his head, when they 
will stop short and dart off at a tangent on the slightest motion 
of a person, who may flatter himself tolerably well concealed 
by brushwood or other covert. 
In shooting at a Deer on the leap, with a gun and buck-shot, 
even more than with a rifle, shoot well forward, and low, as the 
animal descends from its bound; and, in shooting from horse¬ 
back, at speed, bear well on your off stirrup, if firing on the 
nigh side, and, vice versd, bearing hard with your hand on the 
rein to which you shoot. The cause of this advice is obvious— 
the body is naturally thrust forward in the direction toward 
which you present your gun, and the best broken horse will 
swerve a little from the sudden flash. Your business is to balance 
the tendency of your own body by the bearing on the stirrup, 
and to check the swerve by the rein. 
No one should attempt to ride across country, without a dou 
ble bridle, snaffle and curb, or with a martingale. 
