HOW A GUN OUGHT TO BE CARRIED. 81 



another exhibits some favourite contrivance of his 

 own for loading his gun more expeditiously, or 

 some method of fastening two bullets together, 

 by cutting their edges smooth : one explains the 

 particular advantage, known only to himself, of 

 an extraordinarily-shaped pair of fustian trowsers, 

 or the goodness of some infallible composition 

 for keeping the wet out of a pair of boots ; whilst 

 another expatiates on the perfections of his fa- 

 vourite dog. Perhaps, the never-to-be-exhausted 

 subject of how a gun ought to be carried be- 

 comes a matter of debate, as there are still many 

 persons who persist in the very dangerous me- 

 thod of carrying the hammer down upon the 

 cap, whilst others delude themselves into the 

 idea that they are the most careful persons in 

 the world, because they carry their guns at the 

 half-cock. " Defend me," say I, " from shooting 

 with a person who carries his gun at half-cock, 

 or who has any jimcrack or patent safety contri- 

 vance to lock the lock when cocked, and prevent 

 it from going off!" If I find myself looking into 

 both barrels of one of these persons' guns, and 

 request him to keep the muzzle up, he will tell 

 me with the greatest gravity, " Oh ! there is no 

 E 3 



