1 66 The Wild-Fowlers 



ply my tarpon rod in trout fishing ? No 

 sportsman of to-day cares to bring down 

 more than one bird with each barrel, and 

 an ounce of shot is all any decent gunner 

 need use for that purpose. My i6-gauge 

 will throw that ounce load as far and as 

 straight as any man's lo-gauge, and I 

 have a bright new thousand-dollar note to 

 back the statement/' 



" Stage money or genuine goods, 

 Seth ? " laughed Bradley. 



" Whichever you choose, Doctor; but 

 if you wager, or if any sportsman takes 

 the wager, it will be on the same side my 

 money lies. The flock shooter the fel- 

 low who guns for the markets and milli- 

 nery stores and who can't afford an ounce 

 of shot on but one bird may stake his 

 purse the other way, and if he does and 

 I 'm his opponent, he '11 lose. 



" I am aware that this declaration and, 

 of course, my views in general on this 

 subject, as expressed here, would not 

 meet the approval of the shoot-at-the- 



