214 



RECREA TION. 



or not, further investigation will demon- 

 strate. The bursting of the skull is no 

 doubt due to the great velocity of the ball 

 through the brain substance, giving not 

 sufficient time for cell compression. 



Another fact yet remains to be proven. 

 That is whether the mortality is greater 

 from the use of the modern or the old style 

 rifles. In the case of our own troops the 

 fatality was greater in proportion to the 

 number wounded than formerly. How- 

 ever, that will require further demonstra- 

 tion, as the results of the 14th may have 

 been purely accidental as to fatalities. 



There is yet no means of ascertaining 

 the proportion of wounded to the number 

 killed of the Spanish troops, during the 

 engagement referred to; but it may be 

 safely assumed that in the case of the Span- 

 ish the mortality was also larger than nor- 

 mal. The topography of the region where 

 the fight occurred, and the evidently scanty 

 means of transportation at hand, make it 

 unlikely that the Spaniards could have re- 

 moved all their wounded had there been a 

 great number of them. As a matter of fact, 

 however, not a single wounded Spaniard 

 has been found. 1 



An associated press despatch, sent out 

 during the fighting at Santiago, says: 



The Spaniards are using brass sheathed 

 lead bullets. The brass rips, on striking, 

 and tears the flesh horribly, while the small 

 brass splinters cause blood poisoning. 

 These are practically explosive bullets and 

 are used in the Remington rifles. 



The Spaniards also cut a small cross 

 through the end of the Mauser bullet, so 

 that it mushrooms on striking, with sim- 

 ilar result. 



ON BUYING AND SELLING A GUN. 

 RALPH BLIVEN. 



A month before the game season, in 

 cleaning my room I came across the old 

 gun. As I examined it my memory was 

 crowded with recollections of the past — 

 this gun had a past — and on the spot I 

 made up my mind to dispose of the senile 

 weapon and get a new one. 



So I procured some sportsmen's jour- 

 nals, and that night a score of postals 

 started across the continent. Every one 

 bore the inscription, " Kindly favor me 

 with a copy of your catalogue as per ad." 

 Before the answers could appear I cruised 

 about among our San Francisco dealers. 

 Not one would buy my pump gun out- 

 right One man offered me $7.50 in ex- 

 change; another refused to take it as a 

 gift (I did not ask him to); and a third 

 essayed a barter on a basis of $12.50. 



Presently the catalogues began to ar- 

 rive. In immense envelopes, in tied pack- 

 ages that burst open when touched, and in 

 rolls they came, until the postman grinned 



derisively when we chanced to pass on the 

 street. Then appeared a letter from a local 

 firm: " We have been advised by the Jones 

 Hammerless Co., which we represent, that 

 you are contemplating the purchase of a 

 shotgun this season. The Jones gun has 

 improvements found only on the Jones. If 

 you can make it convenient to call on us, 

 we shall be pleased to point out to you 

 its particular beauties." This was signed 

 " City Agent for the Jones Gun." A sim- 

 ilar letter from another store was signed, 

 " Agent for the Pacific Coast." The re- 

 maining dealer modestly styled himself 

 " Sole Agent." 



I saw the City Agent first. He was the 

 $7.50 man. He recognized me at once, and 

 assumed I had come to haggle over his 

 offer until I produced my letter. 



" But this belongs to Mr. Barker," he 

 said, peering at me suspiciously as if I had* 

 filched it. 



" That's my name," I explained. 



" Oh, it's you! " ejaculated he in not a 

 little disappointment. 



Afterward I proceeded to the $12.50 man, 

 the Pacific Coast agent. He also knew 

 me, but he did not seem so displeased as 

 the $7.50 man. The Sole Agent — the man 

 who did not want my gun as a gift — I ig- 

 nored. 



Next morning 3 more letters reached me. 



" As well be orderly," I thought with a 

 sinking heart, so I first broke the seal of 

 the one from the $7.50 man, the City 

 Agent. " Dear Sir," it commenced, " the 

 Green Gun Co., makers of the celebrated 

 Green Gun, have communicated with us 

 under date of the 5th inst., mentioning you 

 as a probable customer. Permit us to re- 

 mind you that on the Green are found not 

 only all improvements of all other guns 

 but many special features peculiar to the 

 Green. We hope to soon have the felicity 

 of showing you the Green." The Sole 

 Agent's missive, I burned unread. In the 

 Pacific Coast Agent's I found a rehash of 

 his former letter. This firm I again visited 

 and inspected the Green. 



Every day came 3 fresh letters. With 

 slight effort I could picture the smile on 

 that $7.50 man as he despatched a new tor- 

 ment to seek me out. It is remarkable how 

 many men have invented guns and given 

 them their own foolish names. For a time 

 I was fascinated and opened 2 new letters 

 each day. But this way, it struck me, lay 

 madness; and thereafter I destroyed them 

 all unopened. Full well I knew that hate- 

 ful, solicitous style, the interested counsel 

 writhing from line to line. 



Perhaps it is needless to state that by this 

 time my shooting fever was entirely cured. 

 Indeed, the thought of a gun was painful 

 beyond expression. Only one correspon- 

 dent persevered, the Pacific Coast Agent, 

 and I was tempted to buy a gun if only to 

 cut off his detestable communications. 



