26 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



" den," where it reposed in peace until the delinquent 

 repented, and sued for the confiscated property. A 

 needle in such cases was always ruthlessly thrown into 

 the fire. 



Another rule which he enforced very strictly upon 

 us boys, and which he never permitted us to trans- 

 gress without suffering severely for it was — never to 

 point a gun, or handle it iu such a way, as that its 

 muzzle should point at any person. 



I don't refer to real guns after we began to use them. 

 The lesson of caution was taught us, and the habit 

 formed, when we were mere children, five or six years 

 old, with nothing more dangerous than toy guns rudely 

 constructed by ourselves out of a piece of wood. Such 

 weapons we possessed, and if ever we were so forgetful 

 as to break the rule referred to, they were instantly 

 taken from us, and only restored to us some weeks 

 afterwards on our solemn promise to be more careful 

 in future. Also when walking about with our not 

 very formidable or awe-inspiring imitations of fire- 

 arms, our attention was constantly directed to the 

 manner of carrying them so as never to allow the 

 muzzle to cross in the direction of any one's person. 

 " Be careful, keep up the muzzle of your gun ! " was 

 the usual formula. The consequence was, our father 

 found it safe to allow us to use real firearms at a very 

 early age. If we had ever been known to transgress 

 the child-learned law, I am very sure a fowling-piece 

 would have been promptly and peremptorily forbidden 

 for an indefinite period. 



