DOUBTFUL OF HIS POWERS 133 



never dreaming of such an easy chance as that 

 offered by otters on the snowed-up mere. 



' Can I hold straight enow, wonder.' ■ Iss, 

 sure,' came the complacent answer ; ' you can 

 hold straight enow for that.' 



Nevertheless, as if conscious that he could not 

 and fearing to put his enfeebled powers to the 

 test, he kept blowing on the barrels, though 

 all the dust had gone, until at last, remembering 

 the dark, snow-laden sky, he raised the stock to 

 his shoulder, shut one eye, and looked along the 

 gun. In his younger days man and weapon 

 might have been molten together in bronze, so 

 steadily could he stand and hold ; but now, as 

 he had dreaded, the sight zig-zagged over the 

 pane when he aimed at a starling on the medlar- 

 tree outside. 



* Tis no use ; couldn't hit a seal, leave alone 

 an oter, with muzzle wobblin' all over the place 

 like that — dear, dear, oh, dear !' and he sank into 

 the corner of the settle. 



But as he sat before the furze fire which 

 a girl was tending, warmth came back to his 

 hands, the thought of the golden sovereign 

 quickened his blood, and he resolved to make a 

 second attempt. Rising to his feet, he again 

 raised the gun to his shoulder and, holding his 



