“How am I to carry it?” said the wretched Winkle.

“Carry it with the muzzle to the ground,” replied Mr. Pickwick.

“It’s so unsportsmanlike,” reasoned Winkle.

“I don’t care whether it’s unsportsmanlike or not,” replied Mr. Pickwick; “I am not going to be shot in a wheelbarrow, for the sake of appearances, to please anybody.”

“I know the gentleman’ll put that ’ere charge into somebody afore he’s done,” growled the long man.

“Well, well⁠—I don’t mind,” said poor Winkle, turning his gunstock uppermost⁠—“there.”