352 THE STILL-HUNTER. 



always do so. You can see for yourself what the re- 

 sult of so doing must often be, especially when a fine 

 shot is necessary. 



No metal shows in so many lights as ivory or white 

 agate does. And they hardly ever fail to show the 

 true center at a glance. For running shooting on 

 snow or flying shots against the sky, gold or brass or 

 even iron is better, but for bare ground the whiter 

 the sight the better. The liability of ivory or agate 

 to break seems the only objection. This can be 

 readily obviated by having an extra sight. But ivory 

 can be so set that there is little or no danger. It 

 should be screwed into a screw-hole in an iron block 

 having a guard of iron on the muzzle-side. When 

 filed away on the sides and top this guard and the 

 ivory will be of the same width and height. The 

 guard will be invisible, but will be quite sure to pro- 

 tect the ivory; will, at all events, preserve a part of it; 

 can itself be used as a temporary sight if the ivory 

 should go; and is a ready guide to the adjustment of 

 another piece of ivory, or bone if you have no ivory or 

 agate at hand. Ivory must be kept free of grease, 

 though grease can soon be taken out of it by boiling 

 in alcohol, alkali, etc., or by rubbing it well with ether. 



The beginner with the rifle lays to his soul no unc- 

 tion so flattering as the idea that a shot a few inches 

 above or below the mark is a good shot because it is 

 what the world is pleased to term " a line-shot." In 

 dueling, " a line-shot" means something. In shooting 

 at game where there is seldom six inches to spare 

 above or below the center, and much less if you in- 

 tend to hit the vitals, and where the mark is from 

 five to twenty times the distance of the mark in 

 dueling, "a line-shot" also means something; to 



