98 MANUAL FOR YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 



occurring so nearly in this manner, that I am led to doubt 

 the inutility of the caution. 



One genius, having got the cleaning rod of his rifle 

 jammed, so that he could not withdraw it, cocked the 

 piece, took the rod in his teeth, pulled might and main, 

 and finding that it still did not come, pulled the trigger 

 with his toe. 



I am sorry to say that it is stated, although I do not 

 altogether believe it, that the cleaning rod and ball both 

 went out at the back of his neck, without doing him much 

 harm. I say I am sorry, for if the story be true, such 

 a fool ought not to live. 



In the other case, the sufferer wished to ascertain if his 

 piece were loaded or not, by trying whether the air would 

 draw through it. To this end he clapped the muzzle into 

 his mouth, and began to suck ; then, remembering that so 

 long as the striker lay down on the nipple, that alone would 

 prevent the ingress of the air, he proceeded to half-cock 

 the lock with his toe. Of course, his toe slipped, and 

 very naturally his brains were blown to the four winds. 



It must not be supposed, that these "modern in- 

 stances" are either jokes or "weak inventions" of the 

 author. The former anecdote appeared in the columas 

 of the National Intelligencer, the latter in the New York 

 Daily Times ; both relations bearing every mark of authen- 

 ticity, the names of the sufferers, the time and place of 

 their exploits, though not the verdict of the coroner, which 

 one might conjecture would run in the old style of " sarved 

 'em right, too." 



Who shall say, after this, that it is unnecessary to 



