38 FIELD SHOOTING. . 



cheap gun, and I do not recommend cheap guns 

 but when a man cannot afford an expensive om 

 a cheap gun is a good deal better than none, c 

 than an old "Brown Bess" musket. For som 

 years after 1 went to Illinois as well as before, 

 never shot with any but common guns. I kille 

 plenty of game, and could always sell a gun whe 

 it was pretty well worn out for as much as I ha> 

 paid for it.. Men looking at the size of the bunc 

 of grouse or ducks I brought in, or at the twent; 

 brace of quail to which I stinted myself in th 

 oak barrens on the Sangamon, thought it was th 

 gun which accounted for the success, and were read; 

 to buy it. Afterwards I got a Greener gun, one o; 

 the best muzzle-loaders that I have ever seen, 

 paid one hundred and twenty-five dollars for it 

 and it had but one fault. It weighed seven pound 

 and a half, which is too light for my estimate oi 

 excellence. It kicked when pretty heavily charged 

 and kept my finger and cheek sore. But it was : 

 close-shooting, hard-hitting gun, and when thi 

 breech-loaders came out I would not have swappei 

 it for a hundred of them. I thought they woul( 

 not put their shot regular and close, and that thei 

 would lack penetration. I have since completely 

 changed that opinion. I was then ready to shoo 



