276 ACCIDENTS FEOM FIRE-ARMS. 



known many accidents, one rather of a ludicrous 

 nature, which happened in my own family. 



We had been out shooting, and afterwards were 

 sitting round the fire in the dining-room, when a 

 loud explosion in the bed-room above lifted us at 

 once to our legs. Upon rvmning up -stairs we 

 could not at first see any living being, from the 

 smoke which filled the room ; but soon, by the 

 light of the fire, I could distinguish what ap- 

 peared to be a bundle of clothes, lying against a 

 chest of drawers, which, upon examination, turned 

 out to be the under housemaid in happy uncon- 

 sciousness. On further search being made, and 

 the window thrown up, the form of my youngest 

 brother, a lad of about twelve years of age, was 

 brought to view, extended also at the foot of the 

 bed, vrith a face as black as a chimney-sweep's. 

 By the application of the contents of the water- 

 bottle over the face of the sleeping beauty under 

 the drawers, who was more frightened than hurt, 

 consciousness was restored, although not in a very 

 intelligible form, for between hysterical sobs and 

 sighs, little information could be obtained as to the 

 cause of the explosion. My brother was also 

 much confused and scorched about the face, his 

 eye-brows being completely singed off. This at 

 once revealed the nature of the accident which 



