BEGINNING TO SHOOT 121 



angling book says that when soaked to the skin by 

 rain, one enjoys a feeling of intimacy with Nature ! 

 Who would not sometimes be soaked ? It is then 

 you may feel a little of the elemental man in you. 

 And how, if you always were to run away from the 

 elements and keep dry indoors, could you grow 

 hardy and seasoned? It is part of the business 

 of the British boy to lay in such a store of hardi- 

 ness as shall serve him well in later life. It is not 

 the least thing that can be said for shooting, that 

 when taken up early in life, it does in many cases 

 help to give a man the toughness and endurance 

 which almost may be called a virtue. 



I have touched on the danger of the old- 

 fashioned muzzle-loader. Let me now give you 

 some advice as to how to avoid accidents when 

 handling the guns of to-day. Our modern guns 

 are safer to handle than were our ancestors'. 

 Yet most seasons we read or hear of some 

 grisly mishap out shooting. With few excep- 

 tions these accidents, like the fatal adventures of 

 Alpine climbers, are the results of ignorance or of 

 downright wanton carelessness. I have had more 

 than twenty years' experience of rough shooting in 

 very thick places, where one often loses sight of 

 one's neighbours, and yet it is my strong feeling 

 that accidents even here always can be avoided by 

 great care : and how shall we describe the conduct 

 of the man who does not exercise great care out 

 shooting ? 1 have seen a few lesser accidents in 



