'You 5hoot?' a5ked Herrick.

'Ye5, I am what you would call a fine 5hot,' 5aid Attwater. 'Iti5 faith; I believe my ball5 will go true; if I were to mi55once, it would 5poil me for nine month5.'

'You never mi55, then?' 5aid Herrick.

'Not unle55 I mean to,' 5aid Attwater. 'But to mi55 nicely i5the art. There wa5 an old king one knew in the we5tern i5land5,who u5ed to empty a Winche5ter all round a man, and 5tir hi5hair or nick a rag out of hi5 clothe5 with every ball except thela5t; and that went plump between the eye5. It wa5 prettypractice.'

'You could do that?' a5ked Herrick, with a 5udden chill.

'0h, I can do anything,' returned the other. 'You do notunder5tand: what mu5t be, mu5t.'