getting out of the village, they found a favorable place beside the river to try their rifles. frank had brought along a board which he picked up as he was coming out of the village. it was a foot in width and three feet long. on the one end of this he fastened an envelope, and, with a lead pencil, he made a black circle as large as a silver half-dollar in the center of the envelope.

“there,” said frank, as he leaned the board against a tree, “that makes a good target.”

“by jawve!” exclaimed archie. “it’s verwy small, don’t yer ’now!”

“oh, that is large enough. we will stand down there by that knoll. that is a fair shot.”

“what?” gurgled archie, astonished. “why, that is a dweadful distance!”

he walked off about fifteen yards, and then turned about, observing:

“i weally think this is faw enough.”

“why, it will be no job to hit that spot every time at this distance,” said frank.

“haw!” exclaimed elmer, giving frank a scornful look. “anyone would think you are weally a cwack shot to heah you talk.”

“i do not claim to be a great shot,” said frank; “but[88] it would be an accident if i missed that black spot at this distance once out of fifty times.”

“i don’t believe you can hit it at all,” said cholly.

frank was standing with his rifle half lifted, the side of the stock pressing against his hip. he had silently cocked it, and now, without lifting it to his shoulder, he fired.

both the city sportsmen uttered cries of alarm and jumped away.

“good gwacious!” fluttered gates. “did it go awf by accident?”

“no,” laughed frank. “i fired at that spot on the board.”

“but you didn’t take aim, thir!” palpitated elmer.

“i didn’t take the rifle to my shoulder, as it was not necessary at this distance. that i hit the board is certain, for it has fallen down. i think you will find i struck the spot with my bullet. we will go and see.”

when they picked up the board, frank showed them that the bullet had pierced the black mark very near the center. for some moments both city lads were overcome with astonishment, and then archie said:

“it must have been an accident. of course, you could nawt do it again, thir.”

“i think i could,” smiled merry, coolly.

“well, weally you must have a most wemarkable gun, don’t yer ’now. i think i will twy it.”

the board was put up again, and they returned to their former position. archie attempted to shoot the same as frank had done, but his rifle was pointing toward the[89] top of the tree against which the board leaned when he fired. of course, he did not touch the board.

“i nevah pwacticed that way,” he said. “i will twy the wegular way.”

then he took careful aim and fired.

examination showed he had not touched the board or the tree.

“it’s verwy vexing!” he exclaimed. “awfter all i paid faw this wifle, it is no good, don’t yer see?”

again and again he fired, and, with his seventh shot, he hit the board near the bottom, so it fell over again. both he and cholly gave a mild shout of delight and hurried forward to see where the bullet had struck.

“i should not like to be anywhere in a strip of woods while that chap was shooting at a deer,” grunted browning, with a lazy grin.

“if i were anywhere in the woods i should want to be in the deer’s place,” laughed frank. “it would be the safest position.”

“why do you want that rifle?” asked browning. “we are going out of the woods now.”

“that’s all right. i don’t want it for myself.”

“no? who for, then?”

“for john caribou. he sacrificed his own half-brother to save us from being punished as poachers, and i’d like to send him that handsome rifle as a token of my regard for him.”

“it’s a good idea,” declared bruce, at once, “if you can get that rifle at a reasonable figure, and it really will shoot all right. no one but you, merry, would have[90] thought of such a thing. diamond was convinced at last that the guide, even though he was an indian, was not treacherous; but neither he nor i thought of rewarding him for his true nobility.”

“i thought of it,” said frank; “and i offered john money.”

“he would not take it?”

“not a cent more than he had agreed to take to act as our guide. if i send him that rifle, providing it is all right, it will be something he will appreciate.”

by this time the city sportsmen were returning, having leaned the board against the tree once more. they were laughing with triumph, and archie exclaimed:

“the wifle is beginning to shoot better, don’t yer ’now. perhaps it may come wound all wight.”

“let me try it?” asked frank.

“no, thir,” said the owner; “i couldn’t think of it. you have youah own. let’s see if you can hit that board again, thir.”

“well,” said frank, not permitting himself to become angry, “if i am going to do any shooting, i must get away at a reasonable distance.”

he walked back till he could barely see the black mark in the center of the envelope. then he whirled about and pumped six bullets out of his rifle with such speed that archie and cholly were simply dazed. with the final shot the board fell over.

“good gwacious!” gurgled cholly; “what do you want to waste shots like that faw? you couldn’t hit anything shooting that way, thir.”

[91]

“if you do not find i have struck that envelope with every bullet i fired, i shall be surprised,” said merriwell, quietly.

they walked up to the tree and picked up the board. examination revealed the astonishing fact that every bullet had struck within the black circle, cutting out a ragged hole there.

the city sportsmen were dazed. to them it was a marvel they could not understand.

“have you a pack of cards in your pocket, bruce?” asked frank, knowing the big fellow had taken a pack into the woods.

browning produced the cards, and merriwell selected the five-spot of spades from it. that card he fastened to the tree with two pins, and then they retreated till the spots could barely be seen. frank refilled the magazine of his rifle, and began shooting at the card. he fired somewhat slower and more carefully. with the fifth shot, the card fell to the ground.

archie hurried forward and picked it up. then he leaned limply against the tree, staring stupidly.

“what has he done, deah boy?” asked cholly, coming up.

“look!” gasped elmer, holding out the card.

frank had shot the five spots off the card with five bullets!

“weally, i nevah saw anything like that!” declared archie. “he must have a splendid shooting gun, don’t yer ’now.”

[92]

“it is most remarkable,” drawled cholly, still staring at the card.

frank laughed as he refilled the magazine of his rifle with cartridges.

there was a chattering scream out over the river, and a kingfisher came flitting along like a blue streak.

merriwell wheeled and took a snap shot at the bird. it was more of a chance shot than anything else, as frank afterward confessed to browning, but the bird dropped into the water and floated down the stream with the current, its head shot off.

that capped the climax.

“that is a wonderful gun, thir!” cried archie, still failing to give frank any particular credit for his skill, but seeming to think the gun was entirely responsible for the rather remarkable display of shooting.

“yes; it is a very good rifle,” nodded frank, smilingly; “but it is not such a handsome weapon as that one you have.”

“what is a handsome wifle good faw if it won’t shoot!” burst forth archie’s friend.

“that’s it,” sighed archie, himself. “i wish i owned that wifle,” he declared, looking longingly at frank’s weapon.

“how will you swap?” asked merry, promptly.

“oh, i’ll thwap!” cried elmer, eagerly. “i know i could hit thomething with that wifle. but i paid two hundrwed dollahs faw this one.”

“and i paid twenty-eight dollars for this one,” laughed frank. “quite a difference.”

[93]

“how much money will you give togethaw with that wifle faw mine, thir?” asked archie.

“you must remember that i have not tried your rifle.”

“well, thir, you can take youah chawnces on it.”

“but i would like to try it.”

archie stiffly shook his head, fearing inwardly that merriwell would not exchange at all if he tried the weapon.

“no, thir,” he said; “i have made a wule nevah to let anybody shoot my wifle. you know what i paid faw it, and i know what you paid faw yours. what differwunce will you give between them and take your chawnces?”

frank thought swiftly. it was plain enough that elmer did not consider his rifle of any particular value as a shooting gun, and he feared to lose a trade if frank tried it. it was a winchester, and had been especially decorated at the factory, so, in all probability, it was a perfect weapon. otherwise, it would not have left the factory.

had it not been plainly apparent that the city sportsman wished to beat him in trading, frank would not have thought of making an offer, knowing his conscience might smite him afterward. now he said, aloud:

“i don’t think we had better trade, for you will want to change back afterward.”

“no, thir!” cried archie, stoutly. “if i twade with you, that will thettle it.”

at this moment a step was heard near them, and they[94] turned to see approaching the man who had treated archie with so much scorn at the hotel.

“look har, young feller,” he said, glaring at elmer, who shrunk away, “ef you’re goin’ ter dispose of that rifle, i want ter buy it.”

“what a dweadful cwecher!” gasped gates, also showing agitation. “don’t speak to him, awchie! cut him dead, deah boy.”

instantly the man’s hand went into his pocket and came out again, holding a large revolver.

“don’t try none of yer cuttin’ with me!” he cried. “i kin shoot quicker than you kin cut.”

whereupon cholly hastened to explain:

“i didn’t mean to weally cut you with a knife, thir; i thimply meant faw him not to speak to you. we nevah carry knives about us, thir.”

“waugh!” grunted the man, failing to appreciate the humor of the situation. “it’ll be best fer ye ter say w’at yer mean up har in this country.”

frank merriwell had been unable to repress a smile, but he held himself ready to act swiftly, if necessary.

browning neither laughed nor stirred; he simply yawned and looked disgusted.

the moment the man restored the revolver to his pocket, archie recovered somewhat from the fear that had silenced his tongue, and he said, with an attempt to be very crushing:

“go wight away fwom here! i do not want anything to do with such a wude perthon.”

“you’ll have ter have something ter do with me,” came[95] grimly from the lips of the man. “my name’s enos dugan, an’ people what know me say i’m a bad article to fool with. i want ter buy that gun, an’ i made ye ther fust offer fer it.”

“you are interrupting us, sir!” said frank merriwell, calmly. “he wishes to trade for this rifle i have here.”

“don’t ye do it, greenie,” said dugan. “that’s a cheap rifle, an’ this chap is tryin’ ter stick ye. i’ll give ye fifty dollars in clean money fer your gun.”

a wave of anger ran over merriwell, while something like a smothered growl burst from browning, who seemed ready to go for the insolent intruder.

“mr. dugan,” said frank, his words coming sharp and clear, “you have no right to say i am trying to stick him, for i have not even made him an offer.”

“haw!” blurted the man, giving merriwell a contemptuous look. “i’ll say w’at i dern please! i’m goin’ ter have that rifle, or i’ll break that chap’s neck.”

“and you are trying to scare him into selling it to you! that is a reprehensible thing for a big ruffian like you!”

dugan started.

“hey?” he roared. “did you call me a ruffian?”

“yes; for you have shown yourself all of that.”

“waal, denied if i don’t wring your neck!”

he made a grab for frank, but merry dodged quickly.

“hands off!” he cried. “if you try to touch me, i will——”

“w’at?”

dugan struck at merriwell. they were on the bank of the river, which at this point was about four feet higher[96] than the water. merry parried the blow, and came in at dugan like a shot, his hard fist flying out and catching the man between the eyes.

crack! the blow sounded like a pistol shot.

fairly lifted from his feet, the ruffian was hurled down the bank and into the water, where he floundered about, making a great splashing.

“ha! ha! ha!” laughed browning, in deep satisfaction. “i was reaching for him when you got in that crack, old man. it was a dandy!”

archie and cholly were frightened and astounded, for it had not seemed possible that the beardless boy would dare strike that man.

dugan floundered about and arose to his feet, standing in about two feet of water. there was a terrible glare in his eyes as he again reached for his revolver. the language that came from his lips cannot be printed, but he swore he would shoot frank.

instantly merry lifted his rifle and covered the man in the water.

“take your hand away from that pocket!” he cried. “if you don’t, i’ll drop you for good! i can shoot first.”

the ruffian hesitated, and then he saw by the expression on the boy’s face that he really meant to shoot, and, snarling like a wild beast, he obeyed the command.

“you shall pay for this!” he howled.

“come ashore,” commanded frank, still holding his rifle ready to shoot. “step lively, there!”

sullenly dugan waded out and climbed the bank.

“you couldn’t hit anything, anyhow,” he muttered.

[97]

“show him that card, browning,” directed frank.

bruce did so, telling how far merriwell had shot in cutting out the five spots upon the card.

“good gwacious!” cried cholly. “he shot a bird that was flying in the air, too. he did it dweadful quick.”

dugan began to look on merriwell with more respect, although his hatred for the beardless youth who had struck him had not abated in the least.

“i have taken to carrying a revolver myself while in this region,” said frank, and then, with a snap of his hand that was bewildering in its quickness, he jerked out a revolver and covered dugan. “you will observe that i am able to draw pretty quick. it’s a trick i learned out west among the cowboys. in the future i shall be looking out for you.”

“all right!” snarled the man. “it’s war between us, an’ i’ll make ye sorry in the end.”

“get out! i am not going to make any more talk with you. go!”

“will you take fifty dollars for that rifle?” asked dugan, glaring at archie, who shrank back, trembling.

“no, thir,” was the faint reply.

“you’ll wish ye had!” grated the man, as he turned away.

they watched him till he disappeared from view in the village, and then cholly turned to frank, exclaiming:

“how did you dare stwike such a dwedful wuffian?”

“i was forced into it;” said merry, honestly. “i did not want trouble with him, but there was no way out of it.”

“thir,” cried archie, grasping frank’s hand, “you did[98] me a gweat favor by hitting him. i feel that i have been pwoperly avenged faw the inthult he gave me. if you will permit me, thir, i will make you a pwesant of this wifle.”

frank was surprised by this sudden generosity of the dude, but he immediately declined to accept the weapon.

“i could not think of it,” he said. “but i’ll tell you what i will do. that man offered fifty dollars for the rifle. i will give you fifty dollars and this rifle of mine in exchange for yours. at the same time, i feel it my duty to tell you that, without doubt, i am getting the best of the trade.”

“it’s done, thir!” exclaimed archie, in great satisfaction.

they exchanged at once, and frank paid elmer the money. he had obtained the weapon he coveted.