88 BAY-SNIPE SHOOTING. 
In field-shooting, I do not approve of carrying the 
gun at half-cock, believing, for certain reasons un- 
necessary here to repeat, that it is less dangerous at 
full-cock ; but in a stand or in a house, or in fact 
anywhere but in the field where it is always in the 
sportsman’s hand, it should be never otherwise than 
at half-cock. It is common to pass in front of guns 
lying on the bench in the stand, and they often fall 
off, and are usually reached for by the sportsman 
while his eye is on the advancing flock, and does not 
note whether his hand grasps the barrel or the trig- 
gers ; and there is an excitement, when the flight is 
rapid, sufficiently perilous of itself’ in connexion with 
fire-arms, without uselessly increasing it. Every 
precaution should therefore be taken ; and if by acci- 
dent the gun which cannot go off at half-cock shall 
be discharged in cocking or uncocking it, it will 
point forward, away from the stand, and in such a 
direction that injury to human life cannot follow. 
Next in importance to care in preventing the 
gun’s injuring a fellow-creature, is care in prevent- 
ing its being injured. The least dampness, whether 
from fog or rain, and even the salt air alone, will rust 
the delicate steel and iron, and, penetrating farther 
and farther, make indentations that will spoil its 
beauty and injure its effectiveness permanently. To 
prevent this, oil frequently applied is the only reme- 
dy ; a rag well oiled, and a bottle to replenish from, 
should be among the ordinary equipments, and in- 
variably taken to the shooting-ground; the first 
symptom of rust or even discoloration should be re- 
