384 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



say. Not at all, it is then sure 

 to be on the coat drying at 

 home. 



The most carefully-made 

 guns, with the best of car- 

 tridges, will stick, not through 

 faults on their part, but from 

 your unavoidably wet, and per- 

 haps sandy, fingers. If out 

 shooting duck these were al- 

 ways dry, as well as your 

 clothes and hands, it might be 

 otherwise. 



Never force a cartridge be- 

 yond a point it can be pulled 

 out, rather throw it away; 

 when every moment may 

 mean a bird, a useless gun is 

 maddening. But to obviate all 

 these troubles nothing will 

 serve like a three-joint folding 

 (no screwing, please) Pocket- 

 ramrod ' ; it could not be carried 

 as a stick. The comfort it will 

 bring in an emergency you will 

 indeed be grateful for, for a 

 slight tap at the base of a 

 cartridge inside will knock it 

 out at once, though you may 

 pull at it from the outside for 

 a half-hour without success (see 

 sketch). Guns do not act as 

 OUT R ?TU?K smoothly ducking as when 



CASES FROM SHOULDER- we H_ o Jl e d i n a London shop, 



