boys--and men, too, for that matter--there is no reason
why boys as well as men should not learn how to use a gun, and get much
amusement and benefit out of hunting. It is all a question of learning
what the dangers of gunning are, and learning how to avoid them. Fire is
a dangerous thing in its way, and yet we all have fires. Gunning is no
more dangerous, if carefully taken up, and a boy of fifteen or sixteen
is quite old enough to learn what the dangers of a shot-gun are, to
respect them and avoid them. Naturally any parent, especially one who
knows nothing about rifles or shot-guns himself, is very chary about
letting his son go off alone with one on his shoulder, and it is quite
as natural for his mother to think she has seen the last of her boy as
he disappears in the woods on his first sporting expedition. But there
is really no other reason for this than that boys are naturally
careless, and guns can be dangerous and deadly if treated in a careless
manner.

The whole secret of shooting and the use of fire-arms can be stated in a
few words: _Never, under any circumstances, point a gun at any one,
whether loaded or not, whither in pieces or ready for use._ If it is
never pointed at any one, it cannot very well kill or wound any one. In
like manner you can never succeed in shooting yourself unless you have
already pointed the muzzle at yourself. I have seen many a crack shot
and old-time sportsman shudder as he saw a green hand hold up the
detached barrel of a shot-gun while cleaning it, and point it at some
one. Of course the two steel barrels could not possibly "go off" by
themselves, with no butt and no cartridges, and the sportsman shudders
only because he dreads the greenhorn who, even under such circumstances,
allows himself to get into the habit of putting up the muzzles in such a
position. If he does it at home while cleaning the barrels, he may do it
out in the woods some day when the barrel is attached to the stock, and
perhaps loaded with cartridges, and then there may really be danger for
any one who is near by.

The only accidents that can occur if the muzzle is never pointed at any
one are, first, the bursting of the gun itself, which is unlikely,
unless the piece is badly made, cheap, or very old; and secondly, the
presence of some one in the woods who is not within the cognizance of
the sportsman. As I say, the first is uncommon nowadays with the
carefully made breech-loading guns. The second never