The Wild-Fowlers 21 



a second shot is enhanced fifty per cent, 

 by the absence of smoke from the first 

 discharge, which, in the old load, was so 

 dense in still weather as to completely 

 hide the game. Besides, the noise made 

 by the new material exploding is just 

 about half what the old brand made. 

 The noise and recoil of olden days would 

 give me a headache and a lame shoulder 

 now." 



" And/' asked Peritus, still carefully 

 looking up and down the bay for any fowl 

 that might be on the wing, " and is not 

 the new powder cleaner to the gun ? " 



" Much, both in the barrels and around 

 the breeches. One day's shooting with 

 black powder will muss a gun more than 

 ten days' work with nitro down ! Mark 

 south! Coot; let 'em go; don't they 

 look like brant ? They 're coming in ; 

 we '11 let 'em 'light but not disturb them ; 

 their flesh is rank, though at certain times 

 of the year their breast, cleanly skinned, 

 broiled, and served with onions, is as 



