UPLAND SHOOTING. 291 



birds at the same time, as is usual, it is well to carry a secoii'l 

 heavier gun, with an ordinaiy load of No. 8. Sometimes Teal, 

 or other wild duck, come across you, especially while going up 

 or down tilt! river to your ground, or returning from it; and for 

 tlie chance of these, it is well to resen^e a harrel, if not a gun, 

 loaded with Eley's cartridges of No. 3 or 4. 



For greater convenience of loading, as you are always sta- 

 tionary in one place, and have abundant space for conveniences, 

 you will find it well to have a square wooden box, with two 

 compartments, one capable of containing eight or ten pounds of 

 shot, and the other a quantum suff. of wadding ; a small tin scoop 

 of the capacity named above, three-quarters of an ounce, lying 

 on the shot, will save much trouble, and half the time in load- 

 ing. This box, and your powder-horn, will lie on the bench or 

 thwart before you, — your copper caps you will keep in your 

 waistcoat-pocket ; and by the precaution of being thus provided 

 aforehand, you will get three shots for two with a rival, who 

 lugs his flask out of his pocket, and charges with a belt or pouch 

 after every shot. 



No farther rules are needed, except the old one, which can- 

 not be too often repeated, — take your time, and be deliberate. 

 Nay ! with the Rail you can afford to be slow, for he shall rise 

 within ten feet of you, ninety-nine times of a hundred, and you 

 shall miss him only by getting flurried, or by tumbling over- 

 bo ai'd. 



For the rest, though it really scarce deserves to be rated as a 

 sport, or honored with a place among the nobler kinds of wood- 

 craft. Rail shooting is a pretty pastime enough ; and when birds 

 are abundant, and rise well, the rapid succession of shots, and 

 the necessary rapidity of motion, creates an excitement, to which 

 is often added the emulation of surpassing rival boats and gun- 

 ners, — to which may again be superadded the stimulating ap- 

 prehension of being peppered soundly by a stray charge of 

 mustar4-seed, together with the agreeable variations of vitupe- 

 ration and recrimination, to which the said peppering may be 

 expected to give rise. 



