206 THE GAMEKEEPER AT HOME. 



burst one or more. The keeper in the course of years 

 has had several accidents of the kind ; but none since the 

 breech-loader has come into general use, the reason of 

 course being that two charges cannot be inadvertently 

 inserted one above the other, as frequently occurred in the 

 old guns. 



I had a muzzle-loading gun burst in my hands some 

 time since : the breech-piece split, and the nipple, hammer, 

 and part of the barrel there blew out. Fortunately no 

 injury was done ; and I should not note it except for the 

 curious effect upon the tympanum of the ear. The first 

 sense was that of a stunning blow on the head ; on 

 recovering from which the distinction between one sound 

 and another seemed quite lost. The ear could not separate 

 or define them, and whether it was a person speaking, a 

 whistle, the slamming of a door, or the neigh of a horse, it 

 was all the same. Tone, pitch, variation there was none. 

 Though perfectly, and in fact painfully, audible, all sounds 

 were converted into a miserable jangling noise, exactly 

 like that made when a wire in a piano has come loose 

 and jingles. This annoying state of things lasted three 

 days, after which it gradually went off, and in a week had 

 entirely disappeared. Probably the sound of the explosion 

 had been much increased by the cheek slightly touching 

 the stock in the moment of firing, the jar of the wood 

 adding to the vibration. This gun belonged to another 

 person, and was caught up, already loaded, to take 



