STEPHEN MARTIN. 149 



I remember him because he made the first open reel for 

 fishermen. Scott made a rifle for Martin, and he in- 

 duced me to join the shooting and use his gun. There 

 was no betting, just pure sport, and I tried it. The rifle 

 was sighted long and deliberately, then a rest of the eye 

 and it was gone over again until the shooter had it as fine 

 as he knew how. Then the flags were watched, with 

 the eyes off the rifle, until the long strings of muslin 

 hanging from the poles placed at intervals showed the 

 wind to be right, and the hair trigger was touched. 



I never made much of a shooter of this kind ; my eyes 

 blurred at one hundred yards then and they do at twenty 

 feet to-day, although I read and write without glasses at 

 sixty-three. Black-eyed Steve Martin was a fair shot, 

 but that did not satisfy him ; he always had an excuse for 

 not being first the powder was not as good, the patch 

 was too thick or too thin, a puff of wind came just as he 

 pulled the trigger, etc. 



Pete Loeser once said: "Stefe he shoot pooty goot, 

 but never so besser as he can ; dere vas alvays sometings 

 dot spile his string. Oof dot clout had not come der sun 

 between ven he make der sixt shot he peat Shon Glark 

 all hollow. I dink he makes besser string in te efening 

 by Scott's stofe, by shimminy!" 



To this George Scott replied: "Pete, if you could 

 make half as good a score as Steve you might be proud. 

 There are his targets, look at 'em; they show a splendid 

 average, and one hard to beat. It's not a good one for 

 two or three days and then a durned bad one, but a 

 steady, good lot of shooting day by day." 



"Dot's all ride," said Pete; "but he alvays got some 

 oxcuse for de one shot wot makes de oder nine figger 

 oop big on de averich." 



Just then Steve came in and George said : "Steve, you 



