UNCERTAINTY OF BUCK-SHOT. 91 



clear to permit me, with any prospect of success, to 

 better my position ; so I had almost made up my mind 

 not to shoot. However, I changed my resolution, for 

 so soon as he came abreast of me, he halted, and looked 

 around. The temptation I could no longer withstand ; 

 so, pitching my gun with due elevation, I let drive the 

 first barrel with no apparent result, for the deer 

 only threw up his head and trotted off. The second 

 charge I quickly determined to put in, and holding well 

 in front and high, had the satisfaction of seeing his 

 lordship make a tremendous bound and drop his tail, 

 a certain indication that some of the shot had taken 

 effect, but the distance was so great that successful 

 results could scarcely be expected. 



Nothing is so difficult as to obtain a gun that throws 

 buck-shot well. I am inclined to believe that gun- 

 makers have not paid the same amount of attention to 

 discovering the proper internal construction of barrels, 

 so as to obtain the greatest range and closeness in 

 throwing this description of projectile. Generally, at the 

 distance of one hundred yards, the side of a barn would 

 be none too large a target to be certain of hitting ; and 

 again, occasionally a barrel will make an unusually 

 good pattern at one discharge, while at the next it 

 will be quite the reverse, so that hitting a deer at a 

 hundred yards I consider more the result of luck than 

 good guiding, if charged with buck-shot. 



After waiting for nearly a quarter of an hour I was 

 joined by my friend, who at once inquired what I had 

 shot at ; but when I told him the distance, he only 

 laughed one of those peculiar, little dry laughs which, as 

 plainly as words, said, "You're a fool if you expect to 

 eat any of that carcase." Nevertheless, we together 



