e peak of the boulder.

Rose was already running lightly towards the target accompanied by the
excited Mike, and her twinkling legs held such fleetness that the
trained athlete barely caught up with her as she finished the dash, and
triumphantly laid her finger on a leaden mark across the stone.

"Good Lord," gasped Donald, as Big Jerry approached more sedately, "I
thought that I could shoot some, but that ... that beats anything I ever
saw in the West, or on the stage. And with an unfamiliar gun, too."

"She shoots erbout ther same ter the left, too," commented the marksman
judiciously. "But et thet she air a moghty fine rifle-gun, an' I shor'
would be pleased ter own her, only I reckon yo' haint anxious ter sell."

"I'd as soon think of selling Mike, or any other of my good friends,"
promptly responded Donald, whereat a quick shadow of disappointment
crossed the old man's countenance.

"I erpreciates the feelin' thet ye hev fer hit," he said as he handed it
back. "Er gun air mighty nigh like blood kin ter a hunter."

"But we sometimes part even with certain of our kindred when the right
man comes along whom we can trust to love, honor and cherish them,"
laughed the younger man. "And, since I feel that I would be insulting
that gun to fire it again after the way _you_ fired it, I'm going to
honor it by giving it to you."

"Why ... why, in course I'm mightily obleeged ter ye, doctor; but I jest
couldn't think of acceptin' hit from ye," stammered Big Jerry,
struggling between the dictates of honor and insatiate desire.

"Don't say another word, my good friend; she's yours and I have several
others at home. Only please don't use it in any shooting feuds--if there
are such things still in existence nowadays. Since my profession is to
save human lives, I mustn't have a part in the taking of them even by
proxy, you know." Don's eyes were laughing.

"Yo' hev no cause fer worriment erlong thet line," earnestly answered
Jerry, as he patted the rifle, cradled in the crook of his arm like a
child. "My fightin' day air over, praise ter Gawd. Thar war a time when
I war sorter proud of ther notch thet's cut in the stock er my fust gun;
but now ... wall, I'd give a good deal ef 'twarn't thar. I figgers,
nowerdays, thet hit haint the Lord's purpose thet humans should spill
each other's blood, leastwise onless thar's somethin' bigger et stake
then spite er revengement."

"Tell him erbout the shootin' matches at the County Fai