48 THE sportsman's vade mecum. 



rubbed on the tow in warm, or better, cold water, without 

 the soap, if not over dirty, reniove the tow, put on clean, and 

 pump out remaining dirt in clean warm water, rinsing out 

 the third time in other clean warm water. Invert the bar- 

 rels, muzzle downwards, while you refix your dry tow on the 

 rod. "Work them out successively with several changes of 

 tow, till they burn again. Drop a few drops of animal oil — 

 refined by putting shot into the bottle ; neat's foot oil is best 

 for this — on to the tow, and rub out the inside of barrels 

 with it well. Wipe the outside with oil rag, cleaning around 

 the nipples with a hard brush and a stick ; ditto hammers 

 and the steel furniture. Use boiled oil to rub off the stock, 

 but it must be well rubbed in. Before using next day, rub 

 over every part with a clean dry rag. Nothing is more 

 disgusting than an oily gun, and yet nothing is more requi- 

 site than to keep it so when out of use. In receipts you 

 will find a composition to prevent water penetrating to the 

 locks, which ought to be as seldom removed as possible. I 

 shall not tell you how to do this, for if you do know the 

 how, where is the necessity, and if you don't, in all proba- 

 bility you would break a scear or mainspring in the attempt, 

 as I did, when fii-st I essayed, and after that had to get the 

 gamekeeper to put it together. So your best plan in this 

 latter case is to watch the method for a time or two, when 

 you will know as much of the matter as I do. If you want 

 a gun of first rate workmanship, you will have to pay a 

 swinging price. Fifty pounds for a tiptop London gun 

 thirty-five pounds fo? a Westley Richards. One London gun 

 will outwear two of Westley's. Why, I cannot say, but all 



