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is indeed a service of danger ; and few, very 

 few, where you may venture to do it with per- 

 fect security. Voluntarily, I should never go 

 on service with any of the former; but when it 

 has fallen in my way to join such a party, my 

 first view has always been directed to the bear- 

 ing of their arms; and when I found they 

 belonged to the dangerous squad, I made it a 

 rule to get off to the right of the line; most 

 willingly relinquishing all the advantages of 

 easier shots from a station on the left of the 

 beat, when thus rendered a post of danger. I 

 own I am selfish enough to set some value 

 on a right eye; and I do not think it quite 

 so pleasant to undergo a scarification of the 

 shoulder, in order to have a handful of shot 

 picked out of it. 



But to return to the business of the drill ; in 

 which I perceive I have been somewhat preci- 

 pitate : I have been going on to the motions, 

 before we were quite prepared. In the first 

 place, dislodge your flint, and put a wooden 

 driver in its place: now stick up a wafer, or 

 small piece of paper, on a conspicuous part of 

 the wainscot, as the representative of your bird 

 or mark. Change its position, for the sake of 

 various practice; but begin with the height of 

 an usual flight; or assume at a distance, through 



