. "Strange as it may
seem," he says, "they took no more notice of me than if I had been Dick
Johnson, the wool-grower. This took me somewhat aback;" and he inquired
what was the meaning of the gathering.

He found that the people had been called together to witness the feats
of a celebrated juggler and gambler. The name of Colonel Crockett had
gone through the nation; and gradually it became noised abroad that
Colonel Crockett was in the crowd. "I wish I may be shot," Crockett
says, "if I wasn't looked upon as almost as great a sight as Punch and
Judy."

He was invited to a public dinner that very day. As it took some time
to cook the dinner, the whole company went to a little distance to
shoot at a mark. All had heard of Crockett's skill. After several of
the best sharpshooters had fired, with remarkable accuracy, it came to
Crockett's turn. Assuming an air of great carelessness, he raised his
beautiful rifle, which he called Betsey, to his shoulder, fired, and it
so happened that the bullet struck exactly in the centre of the
bull's-eye. All were astonished, and so was Crockett himself. But with
an air of much indifference he turned upon his heel, saying, "There's
no mistake in Betsey."

One of the best marksmen in those parts, chagrined at being so beaten,
said, "Colonel, that must have been a chance shot."

"I can do it," Crockett replied, "five times out of six, any day in the
week."

"I knew," he adds, in his autobiography, "it was not altogether as
correct as it might be; but when a man sets about going the big figure,
halfway measures won't answer no how."

It was now proposed that there should be a second trial. Crockett was
very reluctant to consent to this, for he had nothing to gain, and
everything to lose. But they insisted so vehemently that he had to
yield. As what ensued does not redound much to his credit, we will let
him tell the story in his own language.

"So to it again we went. They were now put upon their mettle, and they
fired much better than the first time; and it was what might be called
pretty sharp shooting. When it came to my turn, I squared myself, and
turning to the prime shot, I gave him a knowing nod, by way of showing
my confidence; and says I, 'Look out for the bull's-eye, stranger.' I
blazed away, and I wish I may be shot if I didn't miss the target. They
examined it all over, and could find neither hair nor hide of my
bullet, and pronounced it a dead miss; when says I, 'Sta