THE GUN, AND HOW TO CHOOSE IT. 39 



of his pursuit ; and, beyond these, the possession of gen- 

 eral information as to all the ruses, stratagems, and re- 

 sources adopted in, and adapted to, the life of a hunter, 

 which assist him not only in his first object, the overcom- 

 ing or circumventing the victim on which he is intent, but 

 on providing for the well-being and comfort, the subsist- 

 ing and conditioning, both in and after the chase, in the 

 forest or on the prairie, of himself and his companions, 

 brute or human, quadruped or biped. 



Still, essential as all these things are to the character 

 of the real and thoroughbred forester, they are all of no 

 avail, unless he be skilful, prompt, swift, steady, deliber- 

 ate and sure with the shot-gun or the rifle, at all shots, 

 running, flying, bounding, crossing him to the right or 

 left, going from him, coming toward him, or at rest. 



For of what use shall it be to him, though he have 

 the finest, the most thoroughbred, the best-broken, the 

 ktanchest and fleetest dogs ; though he bring them into 

 the field in the best condition of stoutness and of nose ; 

 though he be so well acquainted with the propensities and 

 natural history of the game he may be in search of, that 

 he know almost as it were instinctively, at each season of 

 the year, or at each hour of the day, on what ground to 

 look for it, where, almost to a certainty, to find it, how to 

 mark it down, whither to follow it up, how to bring his 

 dogs upon its scent, to the best advantage ; if when it b 2 

 found, or flushed upon the wing, or started from its 

 covert, he cannot bring it down from its flight, or stop it 

 from its course in full career. 



I have known many men in my life, both on this side 



