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 vSharps 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 



