134 MANUAL FOR YOUNG SPORTSMEN. 
for the crack flying-shooter to become a great rifleman. 
In fact, excellence in the two branches of the art is so 
rare as to be thought, by many, incompatible. Such is 
not, however, the case. There are some persons so con- 
stituted, that all fire-arms seem equally familiar to them, 
and that what is the fruit to others of patience and prac- 
tice, is to them an instinct, as it were, rather than an 
acquirement. 
To learn to shoot from the beginning, then, with most 
persons, is a matter of time and patience; and the first 
steps, as is the case with almost every new pursuit, are 
slow, tedious and unamusing. 
“ Before attempting to use the loaded gun, the shoot- 
er, whether young or old, should always make himself 
thoroughly master of it. Many of the accidents, which 
so constantly occur, arise solely from a neglect of this 
precaution ; but if the sportsman be early drilled into the 
notion that he has a dangerous yet useful weapon in his 
hand, he will seldom forget the importance of the precept. 
One or two points should be most sedulously impressed, 
the most important one being never to point the gun, at 
any time, by design or otherwise, at any thing, but the 
mark intended to be shot at. It is astonishing how often 
this is neglected. Guns are often pointed at females with 
a desire to frighten them, or at dogs, cows, or other objects 
in mere wantonness ; or again, whilst carrying the gun, its 
muzzle is held so as to point to every part of the visible 
horizon, All this is unsportsmanlike, unsafe, and worse 
than useless. With this proviso kept steadily in view, 
even at full cock, the gun is perfectly safe except from 
