have been, had he been there instead.

'Why, what on earth did you do that for?' said old Wardle, as the birds
flew unharmed away.

'I never saw such a gun in my life,' replied poor Mr. Winkle, looking at
the lock, as if that would do any good. 'It goes off of its own accord.
It WILL do it.'

'Will do it!' echoed Wardle, with something of irritation in his manner.
'I wish it would kill something of its own accord.'

'It'll do that afore long, Sir,' observed the tall man, in a low,
prophetic voice.

'What do you mean by that observation, Sir?' inquired Mr. Winkle,
angrily.

'Never mind, Sir, never mind,' replied the long gamekeeper; 'I've
no family myself, sir; and this here boy's mother will get something
handsome from Sir Geoffrey, if he's killed on his land. Load again, Sir,
load again.'

'Take away his gun,' cried Mr. Pickwick from the barrow, horror-stricken
at the long man's dark insinuations. 'Take away his gun, do you hear,
somebody?'

Nobody, however, volunteered to obey the command; and Mr. Winkle, after
darting a rebellious glance at Mr. Pickwick, reloaded his gun, and
proceeded onwards with the rest.

We are bound, on the authority of Mr. Pickwick, to state, that
Mr. Tupman's mode of proceeding evinced far more of prudence and
deliberation, than that adopted by Mr. Winkle. Still, this by no means
detracts from the great authority of the latter gentleman, on all
matters connected with the field; because, as Mr. Pickwick beautifully
observes, it has somehow or other happened, from time immemorial, that
many of the best and ablest philosophers, who have been perfect lights
of science in matters of theory, have been wholly unable to reduce them
to practice.

Mr. Tupman's process, like many of our most sublime discoveries, was
extremely simple. With the quickness and penetration of a man of
genius, he had at once observed that the two great points to be attained
were--first, to discharge his piece without injury to himself, and,
secondly, to do so, without danger to the bystanders--obviously, the
best thing to do, after surmounting the difficulty of firing at all, was
to shut his eyes firmly, and fire into the air.

On one occasion, after performing this feat, Mr. Tupman, on opening his
eyes, beheld a plump partridge in the act of falling, wounded, to
the ground. He was on the point of congratulating Mr. Wardle on his
invariable success, when that gentleman advanced towards him, and
grasped him wa