88 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



like the ainimil itself. The clevereHt thing about it 

 was the way in which it hung by cords, from a pole 

 fastened between the trees, in such a way that it could 

 be pulled to and fro, so that the marksman could have 

 the excitement of shooting at a moving o))ject. 



" Who made it ? " asked Dodo, after they had 

 recovered from their surprise. " It looks very like 

 one of the animals in my Xoah's Ark, only bigger." 



"I did," said ^Ir. Blake; "and it is the common 

 American Deer, though I suspected your uncle would 

 ask if it was a Rhinoceros." 



" Oh, no, daddy ; it isn't as queer as that," said 

 Nat, wondering why his uncle laughed so. " It will 

 be bully — no, I mean jolly — to slioot at; and when 

 we've plunked it all to pieces, perhaps you would 

 make us a Bear or a Wild Cat, so that we can tell 

 where to shoot each one. Please, could I have the 

 little gun and try now ? " 



" Yes ; Rod will bring it. There, isn't it a beauty ? 

 A Ballard repeater ! See how the lock drops, and 

 you put in the cartridges so. Stop I that will never 

 do ; you were pointing the barrel almost at Dodo. 

 The first thing you must remember about a gun is 

 never to point it at anij one, even if you are sure it is 

 not hxdh'il ; and the second thing is ahvays to drop the 

 lock and make sure it is empty hefore you put it aivay. 



" Now Avatch me put in the cartridges. So, now 

 close the lock and pull the trigger back half-way, 

 put the butt against your right shoulder, so, bring 

 that little pinhole sight, on your gun barrel, in a 

 straight line between your eye and the Deer back of 

 its shoulder. Now, hold fast and pull the trigger." 



