46 MANUAL FOE YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 



his shape, and buttoned at the throat, place himself in a 

 natural position, having the left foot advanced about 

 eighteen inches ; let him seize the gripe of the gun, as I 

 have described above, with the right hand, having its fore- 

 finger on the trigger ; let him place the left hand edgewise, 

 under the barrel, immediately in front of the trigger guard, 

 with which his palm will be in contact ; and keeping his 

 muzzle directly in front of him and his butt below his right 

 elbow, hold his right hand close to his hip. Thus, let him 

 raise the piece, steadily and deliberately, so that the heel- 

 plate shall be brought evenly and firmly in contact with 

 the hollow of the shoulder, and bend his head naturally, 

 without any effort or attempt at adjustment, to the cheek- 

 piece of the stock. Then, if the gun suit the holder, the 

 eye will find itself accurately laid on the level of the 

 breech, and the sight will meet its first glance, as if it rose 

 from the base, instead of the muzzle of the gun ; for the 

 whole length of the elevated rib, along which the eye 

 ranges, being exactly on the plane of the breech, howso- 

 ever elevated or depressed, will be as completely unseen 

 as if it had no existence. 



Consequently, when a deliberate point-blank aim is 

 taken at a lifeless or motionless object, all, of which the 

 eye will .be conscious, is the breech of the piece, with the 

 metallic sight rising above it, and set off by the substance 

 of the maTk aimed at, as if by a background immediately 

 in contact with it. 



If this be not the case, without a second adjustment of 

 the aim, after the gun shall be brought to the face — much 

 more if it cannot be made to be the case at all, owing to 



