THE GUN, AND HOW TO USE Ir. 87 
argue the last culpability; and I wish that, by the law, 
they were rendered culpable misdemeanors, and punished 
with fine and imprisonment, instead of being regarded 
with sympathy and commiseration. 
The first is, never, under any circumstances, whether 
you know it to be loaded, or believe it to be unloaded, 
point your gun, or allow it to be pointed, in the act of 
handling or carrying it, toward any person. 
This is the only sure rule of safety, and it is an easy 
one; for, like all the rest, after a time it becomes an 
instinct to carry a gun, so that the carrier, and those 
around him, shall all be alike safe from the consequence 
of an accidental discharge. Such discharges, on the con- 
trary, though care may lessen their frequency, can never 
be entirely. prevented. A thumb will occasionally slip 
from a striker in the act of cocking the piece; a brier will 
catch a trigger or hammer; a foot will miss its stephold, 
and a fall explode the cap; lastly, the casual failure of a 
portion of the lock may let off the gun, without the least 
maladresse, inexpertness, or negligence on the part of the 
shooter. Unquestionably, no man ever shot constantly for 
many years, who has not had his gun discharged in his 
hands inadvertently, without his intentionally pulling the 
trigger, on some occasion; although with a careful, ob- 
servant, and expert person, such occasions will be rare 
indeed. If such things happen frequently to a person, 
however safely he may carry his gun, he must be an in- 
curably inexpert bungler, one of those unfortunates whose 
fingers are all thumbs; and with such persons there is but 
one course to take—not to shoot with them at all. 
