The Wild-Fowlers 167 



whole-flock fellow, and the smaller fry of 

 gun dealers who have a large assortment 

 of market-size guns in stock, some of 

 them even handle an 8-bore, and I know 

 a bayman whose best patron shoots a 4- 

 bore, nor will my ideas be approved of 

 by the little hole-in-the-wall ammunition 

 shops and at the dry-goods-store sporting 

 counters, where quantity in sales rather 

 than quality is the standard motto, but 

 what I say regarding the i6-gauge arm 

 and its small charges is true none the less, 

 and though the time is not quite ripe for 

 the general adoption of the small wing 

 gun in place of its larger cousins, the bet- 

 ter class of gunmakers will soon recognize 

 the truth of the matter, just as they did 

 in the case of the flintlock and the cap 

 gun, the muzzleloader and the breech- 

 loader, and the hammer and the hammer- 

 less guns." 



" I guess you 're right, boy," said Cor- 

 bin, " but, by my true word, the Doctor 

 and I don't worry much about the thing, 



