236 



SHOOTING. 



fore he sets the butt of the gun upon the ground ; a sense of 

 self-preservation will soon render this habitual ; and a man who 

 is so absent or so eager as to disregard this practice, had better 

 confine himself to carrying a cane instead of a gun. 



" After discharging one barrel, be careful to secure with the 

 ramrod the wadding of the other,, which from the recoil usually 

 becomes loose : this is not only needful to prevent the shot from 

 falling out, but is an act of safety, lest there should be a space 

 between the shot and the wadding, that will endanger the bar- 

 rel : it likewise prevents mistakes in loading ; and no objection 

 can be made to it, but the accidental fall of a shot into the load- 

 ed, whilst pouring them into the fired, barrel, and which may 

 occasion some trouble in withdrawing the ramrod : in such a 

 a case, turn the muzzle into the hand, and keep the ramrod 

 home upon the charge, and the stray shot will easily be extricated. 



" When uncocking a gun, never remove the thumb from the 

 cock until after having let it pass down beyond the half bent, and 

 gently raising it again, the sound of the sear is heard catching the 

 tumbler. 



" Carrying the gun in a safe position, and well securing the 

 lock, are the first articles a young sportsman should learn, and 

 never cease to regard : the result of neglecting other observances 

 is, generally, no more than missing the object ; but carelessness 

 in the handling, or position of the gun, are too frequently at- 

 tended with the most melancholy catastrophes : however proba- 

 bilities may be calculated from, a proper attention to the muzzle 

 prevents the possibility of mischief from one source. When a 

 keeper of the Earl of Chesterfield's was preparing for the field 

 in January 1789, and stoopiug to buckle on his spur, as he sat 

 with his gun resting on his knee, and the muzzle close to his 

 cheek, it seemed improbable that a part of the lock should break 

 at that particular point of time ; but his instantaneous death was 

 the terrible effect of his not having guarded against what was 

 possible. The muzzle of the gun pointing obliquely upwards 



