SJ^IP^ SHOOTING. 97 



liave been having a grand time. Keep a sharp watch, 

 fox this place must be full of them.' 



" There now ! good shot! A tailer, and you grassed 

 him beautifully If you make many shots like that, I 

 shall leave all the tailors for you." 



" Thanks, William. I am free to admit that those in- 

 fernal cross shots I never could make, but straight- 

 away ! they are the ones I am after. When I was in 

 Dakota after chickens, I never " 



" Good enough ! you ought to have missed it ! Got 

 up right under your feet, and went straight away, — 

 your favorite shot, too. Here you were going to tell 

 how you made a record in Dakota on straight-away 

 shots, and missed the softest kind of a one, while trying 

 to convince me of your skill." 



" Wellj.I'Ube blamed ! Honestly, I felt sorry for that 

 snipe when I shot, for I thought it was too easy. I cer- 

 tainly held on it." 



"Don't doubt but you did, Ned. The reason you miss- 

 ed was, at the instant you pulled the trigger the snipe 

 changed its intentions, dropped about three feet as if it 

 was going to light, then, at the crack of your gun con- 

 'j'Cluded to move on. I didn't shoot, because the smoke 

 from your gun bothered me." 



Thus the time passed away, until between us, with 

 frequent misses and many brilliant shots, we had 

 bagged about thirty birds. We had tramped steadily 

 for full two hours, and Ned realized the fact when he 

 said: 



" Look here, Will ! In ancient times they used to 

 punish violators of the law, by placing them on racks 

 and forcibly pulling their limbs apart. Do you know.I 

 think they make a great mistake ? What they ought to 



7 



