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pre-supposed ; where, with little or no extent 

 of the lower limbs, the body is of necessity 

 thrown too forward, and by the prepared poke 

 of your muzzle, the but is brought up creep- 

 ingly, and perhaps timidly, to shoulder ; so that 

 the slightest rub against the inside of the arm, 

 or a little tip of the shoulder-joint, will utterly 

 disturb and puzzle the business of level, if it 

 should not actually, as in the case assumed, 

 occasion a premature fire. I have deemed it 

 proper to separate the two motions of mark and 

 present, in order that the extension of the arms 

 indicated by the first, and the sweep of the but 

 inwards by the latter towards the shoulder, 

 may be distinctly and articulately performed, 

 for the purpose of attaining that perfect com- 

 mand of hand, without which no man will ever 

 shoot well. In the field, however, the latter 

 motion will succeed the former, with scarcely 

 the pause of an instant between them; with 

 none, indeed, beyond the firm feeling by the 

 thumb that you have cocked your piece. You 

 will observe, that I do not permit you to cock 

 until the game is actually on wing. Sir, it is 

 not solely for the sake of security that I forbid 

 it, but because the very action of extending the 

 arms under the word " Mark !" will make you 

 cooler and more determined upon level : it will 

 prevent the marring of your shot, by the flue- 



