facing them.

"Why not, Bobby?" asked Mr. Orde at last.

"I was the one who fired that shot that hit Mr. Laughton's head. I did
it a-purpose."

"What for?"

"I saw something brown in the brush, and I was sure it was a partridge,
so I shot at it. I really didn't know it was a partridge. It just looked
brown. You told me not to do that, lots of times, but I got all excited,
and forgot. So you see I'm not careful, like you said. I ought not to
have any shotgun."

"Oh, Bobby!" said Mr. Kincaid. "And that's one of the most important
things of all!"

"I know, sir," said Bobby. "That's why I thought I'd tell you."

The two men examined the youngster for some time in silence. A very
tender look lurked back in their eyes.

"What did you do then?" asked Mr. Orde at last.

"I saw the cap fly up in the air, and ran."

"Yes?"

"And then after a little I saw Mr. Kincaid come out down below, and I
thought it was all right until I got home."

"Why did you jump up in court this afternoon?"

"I knew where I was standing, and I saw a scar on Laughton's head, and
then I knew if the holes in the cap were low down, he must have been the
man."

"Why didn't you tell all this before?"

"I'd never seen the cap; and I thought Mr. Kincaid had done it. I wasn't
going to give him away."

Both men burst into laughter.

"And you thought I'd kill a man!" reproached Mr. Kincaid at last.

"I'd have done it--to old Pritchard," maintained Bobby stoutly.

After a time Mr. Kincaid returned to the first subject.

"There is no doubt, Bobby," said he, "that a man careless enough to
shoot at anything without knowing what it is--especially in a settled
country--is not fit to have a gun of any kind. There are plenty of
people killed every year through just such carelessness. On that ground
you are quite right in saying that you do not deserve the new shotgun."

"Yes, sir," said Bobby.

"But you will never do anything like that again. You have learned your
lesson. And you told the truth. That is a great thing. It is easy to
cover up a mistake; but very hard to show it when you don't have to. I
was a little disappointed that you forgot about shooting at things; but
I am more than proud that you remembered to be a sportsman. With your
father's permission, I'm going to get you that shotgun, just the same.
We'll go down together in the morning to get it."

At the end of ten minutes more, Bobby returned to his room. He looked
about it as o