THE WOLF HUNTERS 



fore and wouldn^t have believed it possible if I 

 hadn't seen it. Ain't there some trick about it, 

 Bill?" 



**Not as I know of — nothing but what youVe 

 seen. Now, if you think that second shot missed 

 the tree, Cap," remarked the scout as he took 

 down the card and passed it around for inspection, 

 "take that axe, there, and chop 'em all out, and 

 if you don't find four navy balls in there I'll eat 

 the chips." 



Lieutenant Wilson seized the axe and soon cut 

 out the four battered but distinct bullets. 



"I'd give a good deal if I could shoot like that. 

 How do you do it. Bill?" asked the captain. 



"Dunno how I do it," replied the scout. "I 

 always could put my bullets about where I wanted 

 to and can't tell how I do it, either. I don't try 

 very hard, but just throw her up and turn loose 

 without taking any particular aim, and somehow 

 the ball goes right where I look. Of course, I 

 keep in good practice, and that helps some, I 

 suppose." 



"Practice won't explain it, captain," said old 

 Tom. "It's a gift — a natural talent that some 

 men find themselves possessed of. The same as 

 some men have the natural gift of writing a beau- 

 tiful hand, and do it with all ease, while others, 

 with ever so much practice, can only acquire mod- 

 erate skill. Now, Peck, Jack, or me, by constant 

 practice, can do fairly well with a pistol or rifle; 



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