Advised to be secret

A man who had been out in the country to watch a house, in returning home, attempted to discharge his gun in the air, but it not going off, he put it over his arm to examine the touch-hole, when it went off, and shot another man who was passing on the opposite side of the way; on hearing the man cry out, the poor fellow ran to his master, told him what had happened, and offered to surrender himself; but the master advised him to be secret till the man recovered or died since which the poor man is dead in the hospital.