artridge, in fact, he knew so
much about that partridge that once he crept up on him, and almost got a
shot at him with the now-to-be-despised "sling-shot"; and with a
Flobert--even if his father had said that no true sportsman would shoot
a bird on the "sit"--he felt sure he could get him, and if he did he'd
come home, own up, and trust to luck for the rest, but he was somewhat
doubtful as to the reception he would meet.

The morning was bright and clear as Tom left the house to go down and
"see what Jim Vail was going to do that day," and once outside the gate
excitement again got hold of him, and he broke into a run; it was well
he did, for about ten minutes later, as he turned into Mr. Vail's place,
Jim was on the point of mounting his bicycle to start for a ride.

"Say, Jim," he shouted, "wait a second; I want to ask you something."

"Well, Tommy," he answered, "what can I do for you to-day? I'm going to
get some exercise and get in shape for football at school; I got a
letter from Ted yesterday, and he asked me to. I guess he's written to
the rest of last year's team to do the same thing. I suppose you're
going to ride your pony. But, really, what do you want?"

"Jim," said Tom, "I'm going to ask a favor of you. But first I want you
to say you won't tell anybody anything about it. You won't, will you?"

"Of course not; but what it is?" replied Jim.

"Well," said Tom, slowly, "I'm going shooting, and I want you to lend me
your Flobert rifle; you don't use it very much since your father gave
you that beauty gun. I'll be careful, and I'll clean it all up for you
when I'm done. Say, will you do it?"

Jim saw a chance for a little lecture, and came near giving it, but he
thought of his popularity with the small boys and resisted.

"But, Tom," he answered, "how are you going to work it? I'll lend it to
you, of course, but I don't want to get into any scrape with your
father, and you'd better be careful, too. Now, what's your plan?"

Tom had this all arranged the moment he had seen Jim and the bicycle.

"I've got that all fixed," said Tom. "Say, you don't mind where you
ride, do you? Now, I tell you what you do; just give me some cartridges,
and then you start off with the rifle on your 'bike' and ride down the
hill by 'Daddy Wilson's'--that's where I'm going to go shooting. When
you get to the bridge, get off just a minute, and go down under the
bridge and leave it on top the highest log under the boards on thi