Nights with the Grizzlies 
from a serious accident I had been on crutches 
or my back for twenty-four days, and hobbled 
up the mountain in this instance with the help 
of a crutch and a stick, Le carrying my rifle. 
A familiarity with all the breech-actions 
of the day, together with an extended experi- 
ence with the Sharps system, has convinced 
me that the latter system, in safety, facility, 
and rapidity of manipulation, is not equaled 
by any. Take the next best, the double- 
barreled rifle: only two shots could have been 
delivered in the two before-described adven- 
tures. I have never had sufficient confidence 
in any of the repeating rifles to use them 
against dangerous game, when so much 
better could be had. Their want of power, 
their facility for getting out of order at the 
wrong time, especially when rapidly manipu- 
lated, combined with the fact that their ra- 
pidity of fire is very little greater than a 
system like the Sharps, are the considera- 
tions that have influenced me. In my opinion 
there has not yet been invented a repeating 
apparatus that is equal, under all circum- 
stances, to the human hands in connection 
with a good breech system. 
221 
