CHRISTOPHER IN HIS SPORTING JACKET 



from her general character. Our delight, when she 

 did absolutely and positively and bona fide go off, was 

 in proportion to the comparative rarity of that occur- 

 rence; and as to hanging fire — why we used to let 

 her take her own time, contriving to keep her at the 

 level as long as our strength sufficed, eyes shut per- 

 haps, teeth clenched, face girning, and head slightly 

 averted over the right shoulder, till Muckle-mou'd 

 Meg, who, like most other Scottish females, took 

 things leisurely, went off at last with an explosion 

 like the blowing up of a rock. 



The "Lang Gun," again, was of a much gentler 

 disposition, and, instead of kicking, ran into the 

 opposite extreme on being let off, inclining forwards 

 as if she would follow the shot. We believe, however, 

 this apparent peculiarity arose from her extreme 

 length, which rendered it difficult for us to hold her 

 horizontally — and hence the muzzle being attracted 

 earthward, the entire gun appeared to leave the 

 shoulder of the Shooter. That such is the true the- 

 ory of the phenomenon seems to be proved by this 

 — that when the "Lang Gun"' was, in the act of fir- 

 ing, laid across the shoulders of two boys standing 

 about a yard the one before the other, she kicked 

 every bit as well as the blunderbuss. Her lock was of 

 a very peculiar construction. It was so contrived that, 

 when on full cock, the dog-head, as we used to call it, 

 [53] 



