to them all.

"Stand aside, Psalm Singer. Your head's in the way!" cautioned
somebody.

Still clutching his companion, Samson obeyed, and they saw Jessica now
lying upon her back, sighting upward and backward over her head a small,
white object that had been placed in the target where the tack had been.
There was no cheering then, nor any movement among the eager watchers
who fairly held their breaths lest they disturb their darling in that
supreme moment of her success or failure.

"But she'll not fail!" thought more than one, and would have given
a year's wages that she should not.

There was a swift rush of something through the air, so close to Mr.
Hale's nose that he visibly drew back, and a double report as the bullet
hit the toy torpedo which had been the chosen mark.

After that, pandemonium; or so it seemed to Mr. Hale. Those gray and
grizzled men--for there were few young among them--shouted themselves
hoarse and gave way to the wildest expressions of pride and delight. As
for Jessica, the heroine, though her eyes sparkled and a flush rose to
her cheeks, she was by far the calmest person present. Even Mr. Hale's
heart was beating rapidly and he caught the girl's hands and shook
them violently, in his congratulations.

"That was marvelous! marvelous! I've seen pretty good sharp-shooting
done by professionals, but never anything so fine as that last shot of
yours. How could you ever learn it, so young as you are?"

"How could I help learning? It is 'Forty-niner's' work, a deal more
than mine. He's been teaching me ever since I could hold a tiny bow and
arrow. He's wonderful, if you please; but I----Well, it seems just to
do itself, somehow. But I must go in now. Time for the little ones to
be in bed. Come, Ned. Come, Luis. Oh, dear! he's fast asleep."

"I'll pack him for you, lady. And say, boys, isn't this the time?"

Samson had lifted the sleeping Luis, tucked him under one arm and
swung Ned to the other, but now paused to glance around among his
fellow-workmen.

"Time was 'moon-up,'" answered Joe, minded to be facetious.

"This would be 'moon-up,' if the old girl knew her business,"
retorted the sailor. "In ten minutes we'll be with you. Come, on,
my lady. I've a word to say to you and the mistress."

The daily evening sport was over and the ranchmen rapidly dispersed,
each to his own quarters, and none considering it his especial business
to entertain the stranger, who was now strolling slowly