Sporting scenes and country characters . surrounded by bleak and barren moors,has, on many occasions, to endure numerous and un-foreseen privations, not only with regard to food, butto accommodation, so far as lodging is concerned. Hap-pily, however. Nature herself steps in and smooths thepillow. Hardy toil brings with it sound and refresh-ing sleep ;— The innocent sleep ;Sleep, that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care;The death of each days life, sore labours bath,Balm of hurt minds, great Natures second nourisher in lifes feast! The battue shooter knows notliing of this; yet th
Sporting scenes and country characters . surrounded by bleak and barren moors,has, on many occasions, to endure numerous and un-foreseen privations, not only with regard to food, butto accommodation, so far as lodging is concerned. Hap-pily, however. Nature herself steps in and smooths thepillow. Hardy toil brings with it sound and refresh-ing sleep ;— The innocent sleep ;Sleep, that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care;The death of each days life, sore labours bath,Balm of hurt minds, great Natures second nourisher in lifes feast! The battue shooter knows notliing of this; yet thebattue is everything to him. The party assemble, byinvitation, at the mansion of the proprietor, whoseabode is the picture of comfort, plenty, and hospitality;and with the keepers and beaters proceed to the well-preserved woods. This occasion is generally called apublic day. The perils and difficulties of deer-stalking 188 THE BATTUE. are nothing to this; and, compared with it, ColonelCrocketts bear-hunting is merely childs play! The. shooters, on reaching the woods, advance in a line asnearly as possible,—the beaters being rather in advance,for the purpose of rousing the game. The rule is, to THE BATTUE. 189 fire immediately in front, and to take cross shots onlywhen crossing immediately before the ground occupiedby the shooter. If one misses his mark, which mayhave been presented before him as plain as a hay-stack, his next companion brings down the bird, and,perhaps, makes some unfortunate beater jump to thesmart of a few shot-corns. For the purpose of takingup and securing the game, some of the servants followthe party with a shooting-pony or a steady old hack,provided with pannier-like bags, in which the gloriousspoil is deposited. The slaughter which is made in thisway is very extensive. On some occasions, if the partyhas been large, the woods well stored, and the shootersskilled in the use of the gun, two or three hundredhead of game, or even more, have been shot. T
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectf, booksubjecthunting
