or with one barrel. The blue kills all of twenty, and the red all
of thirty-five yards further than loose shot; and they kill clean!"

"Yet many good sportsmen dislike them," Frank replied; "they say they
ball!"

"They do not now, if you load with them properly; formerly they would do
so at times, but that defect is now rectified--with the blue and red
cartridges at least--the green, which are only fit for wild-fowl, or
deer-shooting, will do so sometimes, but very rarely; and they will
execute surprisingly. For a bad or uncertain rifle-shot, the green
cartridge, with SG shot is the thing--twelve good-sized slugs, propelled
with force enough to go through an inch plank, at eighty yards, within a
compass of three feet--but no wad must be used, either upon the
cartridge or between that and the powder; the small end must be inserted
downward, and the cartridge must be chosen so that the wad at the top
shall fit the gun, the case being two sizes less than the caliber. With
these directions no man need make a mistake; and, if he can cover a bird
fairly, and is cool enough not to fire within twenty yards, he will
never complain of cartridges, after a single trial. Remember, too, that
vice versa to the rule of a loose charge, the heavier you load with
powder, the closer will your cartridge carry. The men who do not like
cartridges are--you may rely upon it--of the class which prefers
scattering guns. I always use them, except in July shooting, and I shall
even put a few red in my pockets, in case the wind should get up in the
afternoon. Besides which, I always take along two buckshot cartridges,
in case of happening, as Timothy would say, on some big varmint. I have
four pockets in my shooting waistcoat, each stitched off into four
compartments--each of which holds, erect, one cartridge--you cannot
carry them loose in your pocket, as they are very apt to break. Another
advantage of this is, that in no way can you carry shot with so little
inconvenience, as to weight; besides which, you load one-third quicker,
and your gun never leads!"

"Well! I believe I will take some to-day--but don't you wait for the
Commodore?"

"No! He drives up, as I told you, from Nyack, where he lands from his
yacht, and will be here at twelve o'clock to luncheon; if he had been
coming for the morning shooting, he would have been here ere this. By
that time we shall have bagged twenty-five or thirty quail, and a ruffed
grouse or two; besides driv