n't shoot any."

"I'd rather not have my rifle fired at present, youngster, as ears that
we don't fancy might hear it."

"You're only afeard I might beat you, that's all."

This remark so nettled the hunter that he resolved to gratify his
disagreeable companion.

"Put up your mark, then," said he, "and as far off as you choose."

The countryman walked to a tree somewhat over a hundred yards distant,
and with his knife clipped off a small piece of bark, leaving a
gleaming spot, an inch or two in diameter.

"You fire first," said he, as he came back.

The hunter drew up his rifle, and pausing hardly a second to take aim,
buried the bullet fairly in the center of the target.

"Whew! that's derned good; don't believe I can beat it much; but I'll
try."

The gun was quickly reloaded, and, after taking aim and adjusting it
nearly a dozen times, Zeke Hunt fired, missing the tree altogether. As
he ran to ascertain the result of his shot, instead of handing the
rifle to Dernor, he carried it, apparently without thinking, with him.
When he had carefully examined the mark, he proceeded to reload it,
before returning. This was so natural an occurrence, that the hunter
received his weapon without noticing it.

"Want to fire again?" asked the countryman.

"No, it isn't worth while."

"I give in, but think I'll be up to you after a little practice."

About half an hour afterward, as they were walking along, Dernor, by a
mere accident, happened to look at the pan of his rifle and saw that
the priming had been removed. A moment's reflection convinced him that
this had been done by Zeke Hunt, not accidentally, but on purpose. The
hunter managed to reprime without being noticed, and he made a vow that
this apparent lubber should henceforth be watched with a lynx-eye.

They had gone scarcely a half-mile further, when the latter came up
beside Edith, and remarked that he had been taken sick.

"Don't you feel able to walk?" she asked.

"I'm dreadful afeard I shall have to ax you to pause for a while," he
said, manifesting that peculiar repugnance to receiving kindness,
which, singularly enough is manifested more or less by every person in
similar circumstances.

"What's the matter?" gruffly asked Dernor, who was still meditating
upon the incident we have mentioned above.

"Sick," groaned Zeke Hunt, apparently in great misery.

"What has made you sick?"

"I don't know; allers was considered delicate."

"How do you fe