ar with American guns. What is your opinion of this
one? It was recommended to me as an excellent article, and I bought it
at an enormous price, so my neighbors tell me. But from my indifferent
success in bringing down game with it, I am forced to the conclusion
that the barrel must be defective. Peter thinks not, but he is more of
an adept in horticulture than in shooting."

The gardener was miffed by this left-handed compliment, but he did not
venture to resent the impeachment. Plutarch handled the gun with the
confident facility of an expert, poised it to ascertain the weight,
noticed the calibre and the maker's name, admired the beauty of the
stock, and tested the action of the trigger, lightly lifting the maple
breech to his shoulder. The spectators marvelled at the delicate touch
of his seemingly coarse fingers.

"This is a good rifle," said he. "Do you see that red head on the top
of that tree t'other side of the house?" No one did perceive the bird
which the hunter professed to discover on the top of a tall sycamore
distinctly visible at a distance of many rods beyond the roof. Byle
drew up the rifle and fired.

"Run, bub, and pick him up," said Plutarch, dropping the butt of the
rifle and resting it carelessly on the toe of his shoe. Dominick
hesitated, but the black man, Scipio, who had drawn near to witness
the shooting, trudged away to the foot of the tree, where he found a
dead woodpecker lying on the ground. He picked up the bird, still warm
and bleeding, and brought it to Blennerhassett, who expressed
enthusiastic admiration for the marksman's skill. Plutarch received
the praise without showing the pleased vanity he inwardly felt, and
having reloaded the gun with neat celerity, he passed it to the owner,
saying in his unceremonious way, "Now, boss, it's your turn."

Blennerhassett at first declined to make an exhibition of his skill,
but on persuasion consented to fire at a mark under the direction of
his faithful servant, Peter Taylor, who was accustomed to attend him
on hunting excursions. Mr. Byle, with accommodating alacrity, offered
his hat as a suitable target, having stuck a maple leaf on the centre
of the crown to answer as the bull's eye. The party shifted ground to
the rear premises, and the hat was fixed to the side of the barn.
Blennerhassett took his place directly in front of the mark, at a
distance from it of twenty steps deliberately paced off by Plutarch.
When their chief cocked the r