SHARP SHOOTING. 143 



with interest. His object was to strike the tree against 

 which the squirrel rested, as he sat upon the bough, so 

 close to the animal's head that the concussion would 

 stun him and throw him to the ground. This was a 

 favourite shot with the celebrated Daniel Boone, the 

 pioneer backwoodsman of Kentucky. 



After a careful aim, the sharp crack of the old 

 trapper's rifle was heard. The bark flew from the tree 

 at the desired spot, and the squirrel leaped from his 

 perch and fell headlong to the ground, where he was 

 speedily pounced on by the old hunter, who knocked 

 him on the head with the hickory ramrod of his rifle. 



" That's what I calls clean shootin','' he remarked as 

 he held up his prize by the tail for the inspection of his 

 companions. "I wouldn't 'a made it, neither, only I didn't 

 like to sit down with the miss I made a while agone." 



The youths complimented the hunter, and they ad- 

 vanced again, keeping their eyes well employed in 

 searching the surrounding branches. The next shot 

 fell to Pierre's lot. Pierre tacitly acknowledged a 

 rivalry in the matter of shooting between himself and 

 Jake. He was therefore anxious to cap that worthy's 

 shot by another precisely similar, if possible. 



The squirrel which next presented itself was seated 

 upon a small branch high up in an aged oak, and close 

 to the main stem. He thus formed a mark well suited 

 to test the accuracy of the hunter's aim. The distance 

 was fully sixty yards, and, in fact, this was somewhat 

 greater than the range at which Jake had fired. 



