Over the pan fitted a piece of steel on a hinge, so that it could be opened and shut at pleasure.

This piece of steel, after covering the pan, extended diagonally upward, and its surface was roughened like the face of a file.

When the rifleman had loaded his gun he opened the pan, poured in a little powder and closed it again.

In the hammer was a piece of flint, and when the trigger was pulled the flint came down with great force into the pan, scraping the roughened steel as it came, and raising the pan cover on its hinge.

It thus deposited a shower of sparks in the pan, set fire to the powder there and through it to the charge in the gun.
Sam's object was merely to get fire, however,--not to discharge his rifle,--wherefore, without reloading it, after shooting the opossum, he merely filled the pan with powder, placed the greasy rag in it, and cocking the gun pulled the trigger.