The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-12-13
TO AMATEUR sPoRTsMRN.
Scot, Way, In Puck.l

AboR this time of the year the anna teur sportsmen sallies forth with shot gun and a dog, tramps fifteen miles through stubbie, briaTs, brush and swamp, and comes home with one woodpecker and bowling appetite. Or.mayhap, he may sghtlessly pull his gun over the fence by the mulxle and Inadvertently come home in a neighboF's cart. Therefore, this being about the be- ginning of the accepted season when the amateur sportsman goeth about seeking how he may accidently shoot himself or some luckless companion, have lad down for the guidance of amateur sports men some valuable rules, which, if they would not die in autumn when the coro- ner is bns:y engaged in seeking re- election, they would do we'll to follow.
 Having once been an amateur sports man myself and having in my time narrowly missed killing two or three birds, and five or six of my friends who were reckless enough 10 stay in the same field with me while 1 was shooting, l can justly claim to know something of the subject herein discuss.
 Before setting out on a gunuing expe. dition be sure that your gun is loaded, The unloaded gun is always the more dangerous to the amateur sportsman. It kills the most people anyway. Do not cArelessly handle your gun in the house, or you may seriously damage the bric-a-brac.
 A breech-loader is the safer gun for you, though il is more dangerous than a muzzie-loader to your dog or any other living thing that happens to be in front of you while you load.
 lfy you are gunning with another anna teur sportsman, get behind a tree when you sec him preparing to shoot. The bigger the tree and the closer you stand to it the Sater you will be.
 lf you should accidently shoot a farm CTS COW, do not stay to make an ex- planation to the farmer or try to excuse yourself with the plea that the darned old COW ran in front of your gun jus, as 1t went of Hurry on to the next farm with out waiting to reload.
 Never climb fence with gun in your hands or pull the gun after you by the muzzle. If you must climb fence while gunning, throw the gun over first, keep ing the muzzle always from you, then climb yourself
 Don't try to kill two birds with one charge until you have practiced awhile on one bird otheYwise you may wear yourself out very early in the game.
 Don't take your own dog with yo- if you can borrow one from friend You will naturally feel that your friends dog can be spared better thaD ycur own dog. Never take your gun by the muzzIe and punch with the butt in brush heap to start out the game. The premature discharge that in fhis case is likely to oc- cur may frighten the game away too suddenly and surprise you to such an ex- tent hat in the hurry of the moment you viii forget to observe which way the game goes.
 If your gun is a muzzle-ioades, do not put the shot in first and the powder on top. The amateur sportsman who loads his grn in this way is apt to become dis courAged before the day is half done. But there s one advantage-he never shoots himself
 Ifyou see a farmer coming huriediy toward you with long gun CD his shoul- der and malice in his eye, do not wait to learn the cause of his haste or the object of his mission. His appearance is in- dicative of . mzlzTious neighbofhood, and you should 70 away from this locality as quietly and speedily as possible.
 Alter you have missed ten or fifteen birds, and have shot on one of rhe esrS and piece ef the tail of your dog, ii viii be time to eat your lunch, fl you have any with you. ftssessss. # ycur dog walks behind you and refuses to hun, do not think his conduct strange. It is very easily explained: he is just begin ming to get acquainted with you, and has leaned, perhaps, that you are an anna teur sportsman. He has probably been out with amateur spoffsmen before. You should seek so restore his confidence in nm ox he ,will he Ekeiy to 10 home.