7 HE RIFLE ON MOVING GAME. 303 



a little faster and it will turn the next corner; faster 

 yet and it will almost return to " plague the inventor" 

 in the rear. 



You can now calculate for yourself about how far a 

 deer running at a hundred yards will leave behind 

 him a ball fired at a certain speed. The swing of the 

 barrel does of course carry the ball sidewise, but it is 

 like the motion of the train going at one mile an hour. 

 It is only about one thirtieth or one twentieth of what 

 is necessary. All calculations by figures of the amount 

 of margin to be allowed are, however, of little use in 

 the field. A wheel rolled down a hill where you can 

 see the balls strike, and swallows skimming along 

 water, etc., make good targets from which to get some 

 idea of the distance necessary to hold ahead of moving 

 game. Those who deny the necessity of holding ahead 

 are pleased to stigmatize as theorists those who prefer 

 an appeal to philosophy instead of talking about their 

 own experience and sneering at the experience of all 

 others. To those " practical men" who feel hard 

 toward " theorists" the rolling-wheel target and the 

 swallows on waterare most respectfully recommended. 



There is, however, another element that prevents 

 the ball's reaching the mark in time. From the in- 

 stant your brain decides to pull the trigger until the 

 ball escapes the rifle some time is lost. The passage 

 of nerve-force from the brain to the finger, over four 

 feet; the fall of the hammer; the explosion of cap; 

 the evolution of the gas from the powder, all these 

 take time. It is indeed but a short time, but it is 

 time nevertheless. Take a muzzle-loading rifle with 

 globe-sights and set trigger, load with a round ball 

 and so small a charge that you can see every ball 

 strike. Then let some one with a long string pull a 



