72 ON THE WING. 



serting the cartridges in their places. This done, and 

 a slight pressure applied to the breech-end of the 

 barrel, it assumes its natural position in the stock, and 

 the gun is fully charged. 



An experienced sportsman, looking at one of these 

 guns for the first time, observing the beauty of its 

 finish, the simplicity, the elegance, and the ease of its 

 movements, would be delighted with it certainly, as a 

 piece of mechanism, if nothing more. But, when he 

 thinks of the purpose for which this beautiful instru- 

 ment is to be used, and considers that into those 

 two tipped-up barrels are to be inserted two car- 

 tridges, each of about a finger size, yet filled with 

 material of such power as in its explosion to put to 

 their utmost strength all these ingenious contrivances 

 for making the loading easy and rapid, and be liable 

 to prove destructive of life should this ingenious mech- 

 anism by any mischance give way, he would examine 

 it with particular care to see if it be safe to trust him- 

 self behind it. 



I think such a sportsman would very naturally in- 

 quire if such a gun was considered perfectly safe. 

 To which inquiry a dapper salesman standing by his 

 side would very likely reply, " Perfectly safe, sir ; no 

 gun more so. Why, you could fire a solid, tight-fitting 

 ball out of these barrels without starting them a hair." 

 Notwithstanding this very strong indorsement of the 

 gun, the sportsman would still have his doubts about 

 its safety ; and I don't think he would give them up 

 even on a still further examination. Indeed, I don't 

 think any amount of assurance would convince him 



