se three shot guns--no, those
two. That other is only just long enough in the stock for me. It would
not suit a man. Stop; you shall try it, Dominic. Well," she continued,
smiling; "so you think it very unladylike for a woman to handle a gun,
eh?"

"I--I did think something of the sort," said Nic hesitatingly.

"Of course you would; but I have often had to handle a gun, Dominic. A
woman who goes out with her husband into all kinds of savage places
needs to be able to use a piece."

"Then you have been in savage places?" said Nic.

"Often, my boy; and it is a dangerous place we are in now. And you'd
like to ask whether I ever shot any one, eh?" she said, smiling. "No, I
never did, and I hope I never shall. It was the power of being able to
use a piece that has saved me from having to use it, Dominic. Wild
people and ruffians don't care about attacking people who can defend
themselves."

The gunmaker was ready with the charged guns, and he had led them into a
long gallery with targets, where the lady astounded the man by her
ability and knowledge of what a gun ought to be.

Then Nic had his first trials, and made so poor a business of it that
Lady O'Hara said to him laughingly:

"Sure it must be a bad gun, with a crooked barrel. Let me try."

The reloaded gun was handed to her, and she raised it, lowered it, and
raised it again and again to try the balance and weight.

"It comes up very nicely," she said, balancing it in her hands.

"It is really one of our best make, my lady," said the gunmaker.

"But my young friend does not seem to find that it shoots straight. Now
then."

She raised it quickly to her shoulder, glanced for a brief instant along
the barrel, and the white mark at the end of the gallery was speckled
like a currant dumpling, while the gunmaker smiled with satisfaction.

"It was my fault," said Nic dolefully. "I suppose I can't see
straight."

"Perhaps not," said Lady O'Hara drily. "How many times have you fired
before?"

"Never till to-day, only little brass cannons," said Nic.

"And they're poor things for educating the hand and eye," said the lady.
"Shooting looks easy, Dominic. You think you have only to pull the
trigger; but it's like other things, my boy, it wants learning."

They walked back into the shop, where the guns and rifles selected were
ordered to be packed with an ample supply of the best flints and
ammunition in proper cases for the journey; and the gunma