THE ART OF SHOOTING ON THE WING. 255 



The gun being provided, the youth to whom it 

 belongs is to handle it, and practise the handling 

 of it, just as if it was loaded, until he brings it up 

 to his shoulder clean and well, and feels as well 

 able to manage it nicely and quickly as he is 

 to handle his bat at base-ball or cricket. In this 

 practice with the gun he is to be careful that he 

 never lets the muzzle look towards a person. It 

 is to be a cardinal principle that the gun in his 

 hands, whether charged or not, shall never point 

 towards man or boy, woman or girl, in the field, 

 or the house, or anywhere else. When the youth 

 handles the gun well unloaded, the next thing 

 is to load. Young sportsmen in embryo must 

 begin with light charges. For a breech-loader he 

 may use the metal cases for his cartridges, or 

 the paper cases if he does not want to use the 

 case more than once. The gun-maker will show 

 him how to load them, and until he can do it 

 properly himself he had better get it done by a 

 friend who understands it. He will learn to do 

 it very easily. 



At first the cartridges for the youth or young 

 man must be loaded lightly ; for if they are 

 not, and his gun should kick, he may become 

 afraid of it, shut both his eyes when he pulls 



