108 



present less extended action, you may very pos- 

 sibly find out that the stock is not too long, and 

 that it may be worth while to make trial of a 

 method by which the impediments you com- 

 plain of, may for the present be surmounted, 

 and by a little continuance, most probably will 

 entirely vanish ; and, at all events, by the study 

 of which, I do conceive that, in the important 

 object of decisive level, you may become infi- 

 nitely improved. In the mean time, as there 

 are many reasons* why a man should accustom 

 himself to shoot with as long a stock as he can 

 with any ease to himself command, I enter my 

 protest against the curtailing process which 

 you at present talk of, until by your own 

 improved knowledge you shall be better able 

 to determine whether the present errors of the 

 barrel are imputable to the stock of the gun, or 

 to its bearer. 



We shall commence then with your APPROACH 



TO GAME, Or ADVANCE TO POINT. In doing 



which you may get up any how, provided you 

 are perfectly free from all internal flutter, and 

 your dog be in such a state of discipline, that 



* These reasons, along with other matter upon the subject 

 of Stocking the gun, and of fitting to shoulder, will here- 

 after be given in a separate chapter. * 



