I'll shoot the next fowl
that comes across haar, or I'll bust it."

Unfortunately, however, no more ducks were to be seen; but as they
ascended a rather steep and bare hill at the back of their own cliff,
and somewhat sheltered, like that, from the ocean winds, they noticed
one or two little objects, jumping up and down out of holes in the
ground and then scuttling back again--not from any alarm at their
appearance, but as if only in play, for they did not interrupt their
pastime for a moment as the shooting party approached.

"By Jove! there are the rabbits," said Frank, levelling his gun.

"Jeerusalem! so they air," exclaimed Mr Lathrope. "Dew let me hev the
first shot!"

"All right; fire away!" replied Mr Meldrum, who was ready to aim at a
couple of the little creatures that were sitting up on a fragment of
rock right opposite the three sportsmen, apparently combing their
whiskers and eyeing them curiously the while. So near were they,
indeed, that the most unskilful marksman in the world could hardly have
missed them.

"Here goes, mister!" ejaculated Mr Lathrope, pulling the trigger of his
piece with as strong an effort as if he were wrenching back a gate-post.
"I guess you'll soon see the fur fly."

Instead of this, however, the phenomenon was witnessed of the fragments
of the rifle dispersing in all directions the moment it was discharged,
the American being at the same time knocked backward to the ground by
the kick of the weapon, which went off with a loud report.

"You're not hurt, I hope?" asked Mr Meldrum, who with Frank had at once
hurried to the American's side and taken hold of his hand to raise him
up.

"No, I guess not," replied Mr Lathrope slowly, getting up on to his
feet and proceeding to feel himself carefully all over. "No, I ain't
hurt; but I feels flummuxed by the durned old shootin'-iron. I
kalkerlate my grandfather was a fraud, and took me in on that job. I
would ha' betted my bottom dollar on the weppin, and now it ain't worth
a cent!"

There was a pretty good laugh round at "Colonel Crockett's rifle," and
what it had brought down, but the American took it all with very good
temper. After that, Mr Meldrum and Frank handing him their guns
alternately, so that they all three could have a fair number of shots
apiece, they managed to make a very good bag out of the rabbits, which
were not in the least dismayed either by the bursting of the rifle in
the first instance, or by the ra