340 WALL STREET AND THE WILDS 



with less accuracy than a brick could be thrown 

 by hand. Of course I proposed to redeem my 

 reputation and appeared at a subsequent com- 

 petition with rifle and cartridges in perfect order. 

 I had even gone farther and that my nerves 

 might be at their steadiest I had given up smok- 

 ing for the week preceding the event. This 

 caused my downfall, for I was an inveterate 

 smoker at that time and giving up the habit so 

 suddenly put my nerves in a condition that 

 would have been a credit to a victim of St. Vi- 

 tus' Dance. 



At this time the clay pigeon was hardly known 

 in practice and trap shooting was at live birds. 

 I am glad that I can only recall shooting in two 

 matches of this kind. The first was in Long 

 Branch and happened by chance. I was visiting 

 a friend who was entered in a match and as he 

 was not feeling well I took his gun and his place. 

 That I won the match was a great surprise and 

 the score was so good that I fancied myself a 

 second Bogardus. 



I soon entered in another event which came off 



