hind," insisted Bobby, "and Newmark never misses."

Mr. Kincaid arose slowly, and without a word took Bobby by the arm and
led him around the tree. He stopped and raised Bobby's chin in his
gnarled brown hand until the little boy's eyes looked straight into his
own. Bobby noticed that the twinkle had--not disappeared--but drawn far
back into their gray depths, which had become unaccountably sober.

"Bobby," said Mr. Kincaid gravely, "always remember this, all your life,
no matter what happens to you; a man is never defeated until the very
last shot is fired."

He paused.

"And remember this, too: that even if he is defeated, he is not beaten,
provided he has done the very best he could, and has never lost heart."

He looked a moment longer into Bobby's eyes; and the little boy saw the
gray twinkle flickering back to the surface, and the crow's-feet
deepening good-naturedly.

"That's all, sonny," he said, and withdrew his hand from Bobby's chin.

"So you want to see me win the rifle, do you?" asked Mr. Kincaid, as
they turned away.

"Yes, sir," replied Bobby.

"Why?"

"Because you're a friend of mine," replied Bobby with simple dignity.

"And that's the very best reason in the world!" cried Mr. Kincaid
heartily.

The shooting at the doubles began. Two balls were placed in the trap at
once--it will be remembered that it was provided with double arms--and
thrown in the air together. At this game many good scores fell into
disintegration, for it required great quickness of manipulation to catch
both before one should reach the ground. Mr. Newmark's snap method here
stood him in good stead. When Mr. Kincaid stepped to the trap, the
stranger turned to his friend.

"Here's where the old fellow falls down, I'm afraid," said he a trifle
regretfully. "He's too deliberate for this business. I'm sorry. I'd
like to see him give Newmark a race for it."

"Deliberate!" snorted the local man.

Mr. Kincaid's preparations were as careful and as wasteful of time as
ever. But when he enunciated his famous "pool!" the stranger was treated
to a surprise. The first ball was literally snuffed into nothingness
before it had risen five feet above the trap! Then quite slowly Mr.
Kincaid followed the second to the top of its flight and broke it as
though it had been a single.

"Lord!" gasped the visitor. "He surely can't do that with any
certainty!"

"Can't he!" said the other grimly, "Watch him."

Interest soon centred on N