THE LAST FRONTIER 



casion, however, I had my first experience of the 

 lightning skill of the first-class gimbearer. Having 

 fired both barrels, and staggered the beast, I threw 

 open the breech and withdrew the empty cartridges, 

 intending, of course, as my next move to fish two 

 more out of my belt. The empty shells were hardly 

 away from the chambers, however, when a long 

 brown arm shot over my right shoulder and popped 

 two fresh cartridges in the breech. So astonished 

 was I at this unexpected apparition, that for a sec- 

 ond or so I actually forgot to close the gun. 



74 



