A SPORTSMAN'S BAG

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 135, 5 December 1938, Page 11

A SPORTSMAN'S BAG

COBBETT'S SAD STORY |

William Cobbett was among those who have distinguished between dif- , ferent kinds of people who go out shooting, says the "Manchester Guardian." "A professed shot," he argued. , "is almost always a very disagreeables i brother sportsman. He must in the first place have a head rather of the emptiest to pride himself upon so poor a talent. Then he is always out of temper if the game fail or if he miss , it. He never participates in that great delight which all sensible men enjoy at beholding the beautiful action, the - docility, the zeal, the wonderful sagacity of the pointer and the,-setter. He is always thinking about himself; always anxious to surpass his companions."

Cobbett tells a sad story of a "famous shooter" of Philadelphia, a barrister, who, however, "became far more renowned by his gun than by his law cases. We spent scores of days together a-shooting and were extremely well matched, I caring little about my reputation as a shot than as a lawyer. The fact which I am going to relate

. . . ought to be a warning to young men how they become enamoured of this species of-vanity." Towards sunset the lawyer had killed 99 birds; nothing would satisfy him but that ! he should kill 100. At last in the gloom he fired and missed; he pretended that he was sure that he had hit his bird. Night came on but he went on searching until at last Cobbett saw him take from the bag a bird already killed, ' drop it on the ground, and presently , pretend to have found it. He was always boasting of his "triumph," and Cobbett never had the heart to expose his "puerile vanity." '..