BREECH-LOADERS. 79 



Fourthly, it is not a comfortable feeling to 

 have to depend upon the coolness and courage 

 of your followers ; and many a sportsman has 

 found himself in an awkward position by his 

 gun-bearers having been seized with a panic, 

 and bolting, leaving him, with both barrels dis- 

 charged, in the presence of a wounded and 

 infuriated animal, when nothing but some lucky 

 chance can prevent a catastrophe. 



Fifthly, it frequently happens, in hunting in 

 different countries, that the sportsman (if he does 

 not keep in his pay a shekar-gang of his own, 

 which is expensive work) has to entrust his spare 

 guns to men of whom he knows nothing, who 

 may be tempted to decamp with them not a 

 very unfrequent occurrence.* 



Sixthly, it is a great annoyance to a tired 

 sportsman, after a hard day's fag, to have to clean 

 four or five double guns and rifles, which task he 



* Lieut. Rice, of the Bombay Army, lost all his guns in this 

 manner. 



