w there are two.
Stacy sent two bullets through my hat instead of one."

"Hooray!" shouted the boys.

"I didn't think it of you, Brown," smiled the captain. "I take back
all I have said against your character and your ability."

"Oh, don't mention it. That's nothing. I usually shoot my hat full
of holes before breakfast every morning when I'm home. Anybody else
want his hat transformed into a sieve?"

"I think you have done quite enough," returned the professor. "You
have done fully as well as I could have done. Ahem!"

"Really remarkable shooting for tenderfeet," declared the captain.

"Tenderfeet? Well, I like that!" grumbled Stacy. "Why, I'm a lion
fighter, I am!"

"And a snake man as well," grinned the Ranger.

"Yes. I'm no tenderfoot. Did I run away when the shooting was going
on last night? I guess not. I-----"

"No, he was too scared to run," snorted Rector.

Stacy regarded Ned solemnly.

"Ned Rector, I don't usually acknowledge you to be right in matters
like this, but I'm going to admit before the whole company that you've
told the truth for once in your---"

"I always tell the truth," broke in Ned.

"---life," finished the fat boy. "I was, as our distinguished
fellow---tenderfoot says, scared stiff. But if the truth were known,
I'll wager that he was hiding behind a rock when that same shooting
was going on."

Rector flushed a rosy red, which brought a howl from the boys. It was
plain that Chunky had touched him in a tender spot.

"Come now, you boys, if you want to try some more," called the Ranger.

"What now?" asked Tad.

"I want to see how you are on the draw---quick." The captain trimmed
a piece of paper down to about the size of a silver dollar. This he
pinned to a tree, then measuring off twenty paces, faced the mark,
spun about on his toes, making two complete whirls and drove a bullet
right into the center of the target, having drawn his revolver as he
turned. It was a splendid piece of shooting.

The professor missed. He did not even hit the tree. Tad took a
piece out of the edge of the target the first time. The second he
placed a bullet just inside the outer edge, which McKay pronounced
to be excellent shooting. That was high praise from a man like
Billy McKay.

Ned did not know whether he wanted to try that shot or not. McKay
explained how to draw quickly and at what point of the whirl to draw,
but try as he would Rector could not hit the mark. Once