ing heats. If the iron has been
heated too much, they re-temper it with dull heats, and lighter hammers.
And then they take out their stuff and roll it well; and with this iron
they manufacture you a weapon like this."

"You are in the trade, I suppose?"

"I am of all trades."

"The barrels are pale-coloured."

"That's the beauty of them, Mr. Gunsmith. The tint is obtained with
antimony."

"It is settled, then, that we give you five Louis?"

"Allow me to observe that I had the honour of saying six."

The gunsmith lowered his voice.

"Hark you, master. Take advantage of the opportunity. Get rid of this
thing. A weapon of this kind is of no use to a man like you. It will
make you remarked."

"It is very true," said the Parisian. "It is rather conspicuous. It is
more suited to a gentleman."

"Will you take five Louis?"

"No, six; one for every shot."

"Come, six Napoleons."

"I will have six Louis."

"You are not a Bonapartist, then. You prefer a Louis to a Napoleon."

The Parisian nicknamed "Redskin" smiled.

"A Napoleon is greater," said he, "but a Louis is worth more."

"Six Napoleons."

"Six Louis. It makes a difference to me of four-and-twenty francs."

"The bargain is off in that case."

"Good: I keep the toy."

"Keep it."

"Beating me down! a good idea! It shall never be said that I got rid
like that of a wonderful specimen of ingenuity."

"Good-night, then."

"It marks a whole stage in the progress of making pistols, which the
Chesapeake Indians call Nortay-u-Hah."

"Five Louis, ready money. Why, it is a handful of gold."

"'Nortay-u-Hah,' that signifies 'short gun.' A good many people don't
know that."

"Will you take five Louis, and just a bit of silver?"

"I said six, master."

The man who kept his back to the candle, and who had not yet spoken, was
spending his time during the dialogue in turning and testing the
mechanism of the pistol. He approached the armourer's ear and
whispered--

"Is it a good weapon?"

"Excellent."

"I will give the six Louis."

Five minutes afterwards, while the Parisian nicknamed "Redskin" was
depositing the six Louis which he had just received in a secret slit
under the breast of his blouse, the armourer and his companion carrying
the revolver in his trousers pocket, stepped out into the straggling
street.

VIII

A "CANNON" OFF THE RED BALL AND THE BLACK

On the morrow, which was a Thursday, a tragic circumstance occurred at