at it and not pierce it. The shot will roll off the loose canvas and fall 

 harmlessly on the floor. 



Pin small paper targets on the canvas and you will have as fine a 

 target as you want. But be careful not to hang the canvas near a 

 door or window, unless it is kept locked from your side, and so avoid 

 accidents. 



Stand fifteen or twenty feet away from the target, increasing the 

 distance as much as possible as you grow proficient. When you can 

 hit the bits of paper, hang a small can, a rubber ball, bits of coal, 

 anything that can be hit, on a string, and let this swing from another 

 screw eye in the ceiling, about three feet in front of the loose canvas. 

 Now, you have a fine swinging target and one hard to hit. 



Practice all kinds of fancy shots, over the head, crosswise, back 

 to object with gun on shoulder and using a mirror, while skating 

 back and forth, and many others. 



If children were trained from an early age to handle and care for 

 firearms, there would be fewer accidents. It is ignorance and the 

 novelty of it that makes people look in a gun "to see if it is loaded." 

 If they were used to handling one they would never do such a senst- 

 less thing. 



Begin to teach a child when he is seven years old. Give him a 

 small air gun and show him how to hold and sight it and impress 

 upon him that he cannot have it if he is at all careless with it. 

 Never let him practice alone until he is old enough to have good judg- 

 ment and discretion. Never let him play with it. Teach him that it 

 is not a plaything, but a weapon to be proud of if he can handle it 

 well. 



Teach him to stand straight and shoot with .both eyes open, from the 

 first. Make him care for his own gun and keep it clean and well 

 oiled. 



It is well to have the gun a little heavy at the start so that it will 

 not kick and frighten him, as nothing spoils one's shooting like ner- 

 vousness. 



Never leave the load in the gun, and never, never let it be pointed 

 at any one. 



Give the child a simple target to begin with and let him stand not 

 more than ten feet away so that he will hit it frequently; this will 

 encourage him to try and hit every time. 



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