ten!" Bart urged uneasily. "And I don't want you to be
beaten by him. I'm afraid you are going to tie. I want you to beat him.
I can't stand it to have him crowing round."

Merriwell smiled placidly.

"Don't steam so, Hodge. It just heats you up, and makes you unhappy. If
Buck Badger should beat me, I don't see that it would make a great
difference. I haven't been shooting for a record this afternoon."

"All right," said Hodge. "However good your intentions may be, that
fellow will never give you honest credit for them."

The shooting had recommenced, and Hodge walked back to the crowd,
plainly disgruntled.

Merriwell clutched a handful of shells and went over to Badger.

"Try these, Buck!" he said. "They're a good deal better than those
you've been using. I had them loaded very carefully under my own
supervision for this kind of work, and you'll find them very fine.
They're just suited to that gun, too. You have really been shooting at a
disadvantage to-day."

A smile came to the dark face of the Westerner--a stern, determined sort
of smile.

"Better not give them to me, perhaps, Merry. I'm going to beat you if I
can. We're tied now. If you miss, I shall get you. Better not give me
any advantages."

"You can't beat me!" said Frank, looking straight into the eyes of the
Kansan.

"Do you mean that you haven't been trying to shoot? I've been watching
you, and I allow you have been doing your level best."

"You haven't watched closely, then. I threw away two shots awhile ago. I
could hardly miss them when I tried. But I'm not anxious to beat any one
to-day. I didn't come out here to make a record."

Badger flushed.

"All right. Throw away another shot and I'll beat you."

"I'll not throw away another, and you can't beat me, though you may tie
me."

He was smiling and good-humored, and the Kansan tried to be.

Badger took the next two straight, and Merriwell did the same.

"I'm afraid he is going to tie you!" grumbled Hodge.

"What's the score?" asked Rattleton, roused to the fact that Badger and
Merriwell were now really shooting against each other.

"Toodness, a guy--I mean, goodness, a tie! Don't let him beat you,
anyway, Merry!"

"That comes from being too good-natured," growled Hodge. "He wouldn't be
anywhere near you, if you'd tried."

Twice again both brought down their birds. Only a pair was left now to
each. Every member of the gun club present, together with those who,
like Badger, were