And interesting rant, the offenses of Fenimore.

I especially like this one:
"A common wrought nail was driven lightly into the target, its head having been first touched with paint.

[i]The color of the paint is not stated -- an important omission, but Cooper deals freely in important omissions. No, after all, it was not an important omission; for this nail-head is a hundred yards from the marksmen, and could not be seen at that distance, no matter what its color might be. How far can the best eyes see a common housefly? A hundred yards? It is quite impossible. Very well; eyes that cannot see a house-fly that is a hundred yards away cannot see an ordinary nail-head at that distance, for the size of the two objects is the same. It takes a keen eye to see a fly or a nail-head at fifty yards -- one hundred and fifty-feet. Can the reader do it?[/i}

Indeed, to shoot a competitive score with iron sights at 1000 yds or even 200, one must often hit and X or 25-ring which cannot be seen.

I don't much care for Cooper but Twain illustrates no lack of his own fallacies as well.

_________
BrentD, (Professor - just for Stan)
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