10 GUNS AND DOGS. 



is by far the safest. Most of the accidents in the 

 shooting field have been caused by the old-style gun 

 with hammers. I have known of many accidents 

 caused by the hammers catching when the gun was 

 carelessly drawn toward the shooter in a boat or 

 wagon. Many accidents have occurred by the gun 

 being fired by the dog. A favorite setter sent a load 

 of shot within an inch of my head. I had put the gun 

 down; was holding it with one hand and about to 

 open a gate when the young, enthusiastic dog, pranc- 

 ing about, put one foot on the hammer, raising it high 

 enough to explode the cartridge when his foot slipped 

 off. 



I may say, in passing, that there should never be 

 more than one gun in a duck-boat, and never a loaded 

 gun in a wagon, except when the wagon is used to 

 approach game, as in shooting the upland plover, and 

 in that case there should be no more than one gun in 

 the wagon and that always held in a safe position with 

 the muzzle pointing outward. I have always insisted 

 upon an inspection of the guns — all tipping them open 

 to show that they are empty — when several are using 

 a wagon, and will on no account shoot with a man 

 who brings a loaded gun into a wagon. It is unnec- 

 essary to advise a sportsman never to point a gun, 

 loaded or unloaded, at a person. The penalty for a 

 boy's doing such a thing should be the loss of his gun. 

 It is the unloaded gun, usually, that kills a companion. 

 There should never be any uncertainty as to whether 

 the gun is loaded. Remove the loads in getting over 

 a fence, especially if the fence be at all shaky. It is a 

 safe rule always to remove them. 



