Beside this, Mr. Marston himself, as I have shown, was fond of hunting
in his early manhood, and was the owner of an excellent muzzle-loading
rifle, which was as good as when his keen eye glanced along the brown
barrel and the bullet was buried in the unsuspicious deer, so far away
as to be scarcely visible to the ordinary vision.
"If you and Sam want to hunt the bear," said the kind owner, "you are
welcome to my rifle, for you know a shot-gun ain't exactly the thing to
go hunting bears with."
"That's just what I want it for," said Nick, with sparkling eyes.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE BEAR HUNTERS.
Nothing is impossible to pluck and perseverance. That boy who is
determined to become brilliant in his studies, no matter what their
nature, or to master a difficult profession, or to attain any point
possible of attainment, is sure to win, if he will but _stick to it_.
Nick Ribsam was resolved to become skillful with the rifle, and he gave
all the time he could spare to practice with the gun which belonged to
Mr. Marston. He was desirous of starting after the bear with Sam, as
soon as he could use the gun, but his sensible father shook his head.
"No, Nicholas, that would be doing wrong, for you do not know how to
handle the rifle; God does not step in and help the lazy and careless;
first learn how to use the weapon, so you will never miss; then you may
go hunt bears."
Although a lusty lad, Nick found the heavy gun was quite a burden, and
he preferred to rest the barrel on the fence, or in the crotch of a
tree, when aiming, but Sam Harper told him he could never amount to
anything unless he used his weapon off-hand, and was ready to do so
effectively, no matter how sudden the call.
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