290 



CHOKE-BORES. 



ing with Fred to return home, it was arranged that on 

 the receipt of our guns we should try them with a 

 charge of four drachms of powder and one ounce of 

 •No. 4 shot, at targets one foot square, distance forty 

 yards, and exchange reports and targets by mail. I 

 intended to have a muzzle-loader, as Fred had 

 ordered ; but to my surprise Mr. Tonks absolutely 

 refused to make me one, and would have it that I 

 didn't w^ant a muzzle-loader, but a breech-loader. On 

 my insisting that I thought / best knew what I 

 wanted, he asked what my objections were to a 

 breech-loader. My answer was, '' I don't think they 

 will shoot equal to a muzzle-loader." " Well," said 

 he, *' if that is all, I'll first make you a breech-loader, 

 and if it doesn't shoot as well as any muzzle-loader 

 you can bring against it, I'll make you a present of 

 it, and then build a muzzle-loader for you after- 

 ward. " "Go ahead on the breech-loader, ' ' said I — 

 thinking to myself, " Mr. Tonks, you'll beat Secor, or 

 be one breech-loader out." 



Fred's gun was first to be finished ; and accom- 

 panied by several shooting friends with their guns, he 

 went out to try it. The result was very satisfactory 

 to him ; he succeeded in beating them all hadly^ and 

 sent to me his account of the trial and targets, wind- 

 ing up his letter exultingly with the slang expression. 



