FOR YOUNG SHOOTERS 3 



covert half a mile away. You can then begin after 

 this fashion to your host : ' That's a nice gun of 

 yours, Chalmers. I saw you doing rare work with 

 it at the corner of the new plantation this morning.' 

 Chalmers is sure to be pleased. You not only call 

 attention to his skill, but you praise his gun, and a 

 man's gun is, as a rule, as sacred to him as his 

 pipe, his political prejudices, his taste in wine, or 

 his wife's jewels. Therefore, Chalmers is pleased. 

 He smiles in a deprecating way, and says, ' Yes, it's 

 not a bad gun, one of a pair I bought last year.' 

 * Would you mind letting me feel it ? ' 

 ' Not a bit, my dear fellow here you are.' 

 You then interchange guns, having, of course, 

 assured one another that they are not loaded. 

 Having received Chalmers's gun, you first appear 

 to weigh it critically. Then, with an air of great 

 resolution, you bring it to your shoulder two or 

 three times in rapid succession, and fire imaginary 

 shots at a cloud, or a tuft of grass. You now hand 

 it back to Chalmers, observing, ' By Jove, old chap, 

 it's beautifully balanced ! It comes up splendidly. 

 Suits me better than my own.' Chalmers, who 

 will have been going through a similar pantomime 

 with your gun, vrill make some decently compli- 



B 2 



