46 MANUAL FOR 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 ata 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 mark 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 
