Gun Accidents. 205 



Though Mr. Smith knew that the ^'accident" 

 was the result of mere carelessness, he com- 

 forted himself with the idea that it might 

 have been worse, as happened to Lord Evers- 

 ley at Easing Park. Mr. Smith was invited 

 to be of the party ; but he did not arrive till 

 the second day, when he found that his lord- 

 ship had left, having been accidentally shot in 

 the eye by one of his fellow sportsmen. Mr. 

 Smith wrote to condole with his lordship ; and 

 in a few days received a note from him, in 

 which he said that he was recovering from the 

 accident, but added, '^They did not tell you 

 the best part of the story, which was, that, 

 after I had been shot myself, I brought down 

 the bird shot at 1" 



The next day he saw a young sportsman 

 in a plantation of high fii's, who was kneeling 

 on one knee, intently waiting to knock over 

 any hare or rabbit, and quite forgetting that 

 he was within shot of a gun on each side. 

 Mr. Smith roused him by asking whether he 



