The north star or Polaris, because of its position with reference to the earth, never seems to move.  If you draw an imaginary line through the two pointers up into the heavens, the first bright star you come to, which is just a little to the right of this line, is the north star.  It is not very bright or conspicuous like Venus or Mars but it has pointed the north to sailors over the uncharted seas for hundreds of years.  By all means make the acquaintance of Polaris.

VI

THE USE OF FIRE-ARMS

Importance of early training—­Why a gun is better than a rifle—­How to become a good shot

Whether a boy of fifteen should have a gun or a rifle is a question that parents will have to settle for themselves.  There is no question but that a careful boy who has been taught by some older person how to handle a gun is more to be trusted than a man who has never learned the proper use of fire-arms and who takes up the sport of hunting after he is grown up.  Most of the shooting accidents are caused by inexperienced men who have never been accustomed to guns in their younger days.  Once or twice I have just missed being shot by friends who had never been hunting before, and who became so excited when they unexpectedly kicked up a rabbit or walked into a flock of quail that they fired the gun without knowing whether any of their friends were in range or not.  When a boy is allowed to have a gun it should be a real one.  Air rifles and small calibre guns are all the more dangerous, because they are often looked upon as toys.

In handling a gun, always treat it as though it were loaded, no matter if you know it is empty.  By this means it will soon become second nature to you never to point the gun at any one even carelessly or in fun.  A guide once said to me, “A gun is a dangerous critter without lock, stock, or barrel, and if a feller ever points one at me I think he means business.”

[Illustration:  A double barrelled hammerless shot-gun]

A gun can never be trusted.  Accidents happen so quickly that it is over before we know it and the terrible damage is done.  Sometimes the trigger will catch on a coat button or a twig, and, bang! an unexpected discharge takes place and if you were careless just for an instant, it may cost some one his life.  Especial care must be taken in loading and unloading a gun.  It is at this time that a gun is most likely to go off unexpectedly.

The best way to learn how to handle a gun is to watch the methods of an old hand.  Never fire a gun when you are standing behind another person.  You may know that you are not aiming at him, but the concussion of the air near the end of the barrel is terrific, and your friend may have a split ear drum as a result.

A shot-gun is better for a boy than a rifle, for the reason that most real shooting except for big game is done with a shot-gun, and besides, it takes a lot of practice to shoot well with it.  A shot-gun is not a weapon for play but a real tool.  In almost every section of the country there is some small game to be hunted and there is usually also an opportunity to practise at clay pigeons.