180 The Grouse Family 



he had fallen into a grievous error. Not so the 

 colonel. He looked long and earnestly at the 

 flawless finish, tried one lock close to his ear, 

 glanced through the gleaming tubes, then laid it 

 down without a word of comment. But there was 

 the faintest of quivers of one eyelid which spoke 

 volumes. 



And well might he be pleased, for never in his 

 life had he fingered the like of that beautiful 

 seven-pound arm, my one serious extravagance 

 and the finest thing of the kind which a world- 

 famous maker could build. 



" We'll out-gun 'em fo' shuah," he said, then 

 hastily added, " Hello ! here comes your rival." 



The introduction and totally unnecessary ex- 

 planations followed, and, after the manner of men, 

 we looked each other over. There is a certain 

 mesmeric, or other influence in a cool, deliberate 

 scrutiny, and the other fellow assuredly got all that 

 was coming to him, for the writer was not ignorant 

 of match-making. The rival was a tall, slender, 

 handsome young fellow, straight as a rush. 



" West Point, Mr. M ? " I ventured, after a 



moment. 



" Hardly that — yet" he retorted, and a flicker 

 of something very like a faint sneer for an instant 

 played about his mouth. He examined the gun, 

 and again the mouth told the same story, although 

 outwardly he was the perfection of good breeding. 



