, 1873-05-25

GROUSE-DRiViNG. 4.
a British Sport.
. from ElaeEeood's .teu-iae. .
! It is difficult to convey in words, to sny one
| who has had no experience OF tho sport, what
are the elements OF the fascination which grouse
driving undoubtedly possesses for any lover ct
| the gun. Nevertheless, let us attempt to do
scribe it es it really Ii, and recall for mo-
meut the glorics Of Que Of tho great Yorkshire
| days. Let us imngine ourselves again uuon ::
moor, in tho early dc7s Of autumn. with guns,
cartridges, dogs, leaders, drivers, and luncheon
all ea re9le. We hlya breakfasted carly, rid
den or driven few miles to the edgo Of tha
moor, and walked q mile or two to the sceae Of
action. Ensconcc1 in tho first battery, with our
loader busily arranging cartridges ready to hs
hand, and our retriever, keen as mlstnrl and
patient as Job, behind us, we are chc1red by the
pleasing consciousness that We have got good
place, and that the drivers are we'll started. The
morning is clear and sunny tho tl1no OF day.
say TO- or half-past. Tie blue smoke Of our
morning cigar cnris spirally upward, stirred By
no untowaru wind ''What day for driving"
bursts Involuntary from our lips. Half an
tour, perhaps thsee-quarters, elapse, and We /:
tance. Nothing to be seen but the lovely ex-
panse Of heather and golden N1bcrry, Varied by
grey and green patches OF stones and grass, or
strips Of burnt moor which stretches swelling CT
sinking away to the blua horizon. Nothing to lo
heard but all occasional eet-satiBtied chuckl>,
from some unsuspecting old cock-gro'iBe. or tho
| flint blcsting OF distant flock OF moor shee7.
But bark = fsE-oH CRY. of 'Na-a-rh - is wItc1
| along the light September breeze. Ar7"eals du-
ri1us, We listen for the ucxi symptom Of the az
preaching Fray while our eyes almost tire of
| sweeping sky and earth for signs OF the quarry.
Suddenly small pack Of flying birds rises pEan
fF,f fhne %f1 HIYrnS
| fore We have caught sight Of q feather. about
200 yards ahead, chuckling heartily. These arc
doubtless suspicious old stagers, whose habit Is,
under any circumstances, to sl:nk nway 1T the first
grasp the trusty oreech-loadar, and, pulling our-
selves together, conscious TINT the game has
| begun. at length we can SEQ tue ffutter OF a
w1llto flag On tho crest Of yon second hill, fol-
taut birds, that look like bees in tho air. Tloy
sink down again below the skyline, and again
the cry Of .: Mark " arisos- Now more 1aes arc
visible till the complete horse-sh of nickering
on the opposite hill-face. Large bodies Of birds
are on the move in the valley between lis and thu
drivers, more arc settling in front and still >so
are idle; while still tho cry Of MARK" comes
the old cocka, rising from Ill parts Of tho
"slack" in front OF tho batteries, keeps
our attention on the strain, and promises
that work, and plenty OF. it, is near
at hand. Two hote-threc-fonr-five shots
awny on tho right Of tho line announce that the
bali is opened, md reionble ou. excitement.
g Are they ever coming? 2" " "Yes!'' FOR before
we have time to think or AIM, our first two bar
rels have been fired at q willy old cock who was
on uH before We saw him, but who disappears
unhar1ned into the distance behind. With II
second gun in our hands We again watch kcenly,
inWardly cursing the cunning Of thas old mis-
creant who has caused uz to full, expended two
good cartridges, md who muRt have risen out OF
f{,a f0rr I'M IN
within q yard Of the batteries. Somehow
the guns on the right and loft appear
to be enjoying all the fnn. for their fire is i'll
cessant, and the birds, though they settled IN
middle Of the line IL bound to have tg turu; and
look! ours is coming u: iast. As the ehouant:
OF the drivers wakes louder, about two or tttce
hundred birds have risen, and are now on tho
over the very tops Of the heather. Straight At
US they come, their necks and breasts cleaning
red and bright in tho autumn sun, while . feel
ing akin to fear comes over ua. Some OF them
settle, fresh ones take wing ard join them, li
all is alive With grouse in front, and our gun
trembles in our hand Us they come on. Thsv
are on us-the supreme moment has arrived.
We pick our birds-bang, bang,--thud, thud--
them, not creeping slowly, but ct the ratio OF
fifty miles an hour. More ara coming. Oh for
3 hundred guns! Faster and faster thoy stream.
at us packs, twos and threes, end single birds,
as 6LrdiBnt al arrows aQQ aB 6Wllt as Eng n01tQ
wind over us, at our heads, to the. right,
to the left, now behind, now in from:
again, the cannonade roaring along the line.
Past our ears, and over their dead and dying
comrades, on they must come, through ali the
smoke and thunder Of the guns, worthy of Sedan
and Waterloo, till We would fain hold hard and
let our barrels COOL But the drivers are climb
ing up the face We are on, and tho stream is
beginning to alacken. The remai1ing birds
come sinsly, and are calmly and neatly killed,
fftoa f.asx c1fa hnr
over the hill bahind. Now tho drivera are up to
the batteries. and the drive is over. The faith-
full aud patient Hector leaps up, for be knowshia
time is como. and we Bally forth to pick up ths
corpses Of the alain, md lay them in triumph
by our battery. Ten minutes OF this work. nad
We are told to face about in our boxes. We do
so, and again the expectation, the e1citment,
tho torrent Of grouse. the hvsly tqslads, t9 and
reckoning Of the slain, the congratulations and
condolences, and awny over tho hill to the mex.
line Of batteries. Snch il ! good drive ii mo1
arn Yorkshire.