304 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



small mark across in front of you at different distances 

 and rates of speed. You will be surprised to find at 

 how short a distance you will shoot behind it if you 

 hold the sights directly on it. 



The effect of these two causes combined is much 

 greater than one would suppose who has never shot at 

 running game on ground where missing balls can be 

 seen to strike. It is so great that there seems to be 

 no point, however close, at which holding ahead of 

 crossing game can be entirely neglected if the game is 

 moving fast. And there seems to be no motion, how- 

 ever slow, which will permit such neglect if the animal 

 be at any considerable distance. I do not mean that 

 holding ahead is always necessary to insure hitting the 

 animal, but it is almost always necessary if you wish 

 to hit the animal in the best place. Nor is it always 

 necessary to hold the sights clear of the animal's out- 

 line, but only ahead of the point you wish to strike. But 

 when the game is at any distance or speed even the 

 whole body will be missed, and this even when the 

 course of the animal is only quartering, unless the 

 aim be taken ahead. Hence holding ahead is always 

 safe; is generally expedient; is often indispensable to 

 success. 



There is, however, another way by which the same 

 result may be attained. If the rifle be raised behind 

 the game, whirled rapidly past it, and fired as it is 

 passing, the muzzle of the rifle may move sidewise as 

 much as an inch or two from the time your brain 

 gives the order to pull the trigger which to you ap- 

 pears to be the actual time of firing, though it is not 

 until the escape of the ball. If one fifteenth of a 

 second a space imperceptible to the senses were 

 lost in this way and the motion of your gun-barrel 



