The Wild-Fowlers 165 



western part of the country, and black- 

 head in the south and he was a great 

 duck shooter. Still, I think he 'd have 

 done as well, perhaps better, with No. 6 

 at the ducks." 



"And your 12-gauge gun did it do as 

 well as a lo-gauge would have done?" 

 asked Bradley. 



" Better for me," replied Seth, " but 

 I do not say it is a better gauge than 

 other gauges in the hands of all men, be- 

 cause all men are not alike in their con- 

 sideration of wild-fowling. I think all 

 gentle sportsmen will approve of my idea 

 of the sport, but all men who use shot- 

 guns are not sportsmen, any more than 

 the bungler who fishes with a chalk line 

 and a horseshoe sinker may be termed an 

 angler; so I shall not be without an 

 arguer or two when my discourse reaches 

 certain ears. I can kill as far with my 12- 

 gauge, or even a 14- or i6-gauge, as with 

 a larger bore, so why should I use a big, 

 heavy, clumsy ID-gauge, since I do not 



