BAIERISCH ZELL. 197 



Mok. 



It may be well to give some account of the way in which the shots are 

 reckoned at these shooting-matches. The target is eighteen inches in 

 diameter ; the bull's-eye six. This latter however is marked with three 

 circles, equidistant from each other. A shot in the innermost circle 

 counts four, in the next three, and so on ; while any out of the btul's- 

 eye is not counted at all. The very centre of the target is marked by a 

 small copper pin, and only those whose balls have touched this can have 

 a chance of a prize. When the shots of two or more persons are of such 

 equal pretensions as to make it difficult to decide on the priority of their 

 claims, a fresh target is set up, and a single shot fired by each is the 

 ordeal they have to undergo.* The usual distance at such matches is 

 125 yards ; and the length of the barrel of the rifle is not to exceed 30£ 

 inches in length, nor are the bullets to be fewer in number than twenty - 

 four to the pound. It was good shooting therefore of Xavier Solacher to 

 hit the bull's-eye 192 times out of 200 shots, and of these eight which 

 he missed more than the half were fired at a moving target. 



As each shot is fired, the hole in the target is stopped with a wooden 

 plug, having a number on it. This number is then entered in a book, and 

 opposite it a 1, 2, 3, or 4, according as the ball was in one of these rings. 

 On a second paper, which each person who takes part in the match has 

 in his pocket, is also inscribed the number of the ring. When all is over, 

 and after the prizes are awarded, the stakes are divided, as well as the 

 money paid for the shots ; for I should have remarked that the stakes 

 enable you only to a limited number of shots, and all above that number 

 must be paid for extra, generally six kreutzers, or twopence each. The 



* At a shooting-match at Partenkirchen I saw a young forester strike 

 the point, di'illing a hole through the very centre of the target. But as 

 there was another who had as good a shot to show, he determined to 

 decide at once who was to be conqueror, and had a fresh target put up 

 for that purpose. He fired, and his bullet again cut a hole in the centre 

 of the inner ring, and this time so exactly in the middle as if it had 

 been marked out with a pair of compasses. The other was less fortunate. 

 There was of course some chance in thus firing two such shots in succes- 



