Great Britain at War

With the nearest of these men I incontinent fell into talk--a chatty fellow this, who, busied with pliers adjusting the back-sight of a rifle, talked to me of lines of sight and angles of deflection, his remarks sharply punctuated by rifle-shots, that came now slowly, now in twos and threes and now in rapid volleys.

"Yes, sir," said he, busy pliers never still, "guns and rifles is very like us--you and me, say. Some is just naturally good and some is worse than bad--load up, George! A new rifle's like a kid--pretty sure to fire a bit wide at first--not being used to it--we was all kids once, sir, remember! But a bit of correction here an' there'll put that right as a rule. On the other hand there's rifles as Old Nick himself nor nobody else could make shoot straight--ready, George? And it's just th