Noah and Rose had already drifted from the booth at which the altercation had taken place. The girl had knotted the blue silk kerchief about her throat in defiance; her cheeks were flaming, her eyes glistening, and her mouth quivering. She pretended to be devoted to Noah, who was vastly elated, but her eyes ever and anon stealthily returned to Jan and Kate. A large tray full of hazel nuts stood before a battered target, and on the nuts lay a couple of guns. “Now then! a penny a shot! only one penny!” yelled the proprietor; and his wife dipped a tin half-pint measure into the nuts, shook it, poured them out and echoed, “Only one penny. Half a pint in the red, a pint in the gold! Only one penny. A dozen nuts for the white. Only one penny.” “I’ll have a shy,” said Noah, laid down his coin and fired. He struck the white, and received a dozen nuts. “I’ll do better than that!” shouted Jan, and took the gun from Flood’s hand, threw down threepence, and said, “I’ll have three shots and stuff my pockets.” He fired--and missed. “By George!” Jan looked astonished. “I always considered myself a crack shot.” He fired again and hit the black. The woman offered him half a dozen nuts. “I won’t have ’em--I’ll clear the stall presently.” He aimed carefully and missed again. Then Kate touched him on the arm and said, “Do you not see all your shots have gone one way--to the right, low down. Aim at the right-hand corner to the left, just outside the black.” “You try,” said Jan, and threw down a penny with one hand and passed the gun to Kate with the other. The girl aimed, and put her arrow into the bull’s-eye. She handed back the gun, saying to Pooke, “The barrel is crooked, that is why your shot went wrong.” “Try again, Kitty.” She shook her head. “Well,” said Jan, “I’ll follow your directions.” He fired, and his shot flew into space beyond the target. “There!” he exclaimed reproachfully, turning to the girl. “The woman changed the gun,” said Kate. “Now aim at the centre, and I will soon tell you what is wrong.” He did as she directed, and his shot went into the outer green. “I see,” said Kate; “this barrel is given a twist in another way. Now look where your arrow strikes. Draw a line from that across the gold, and aim at the point in the outer ring exactly opposite.” The young man did as instructed, and hit the red. “Kitty Alone, I have it now!” laughed he; threw down another copper, and this time his shot quivered in the bull’s-eye. “Why, Kate! however did you discover the secret?” he asked in amazement. “I watched. I knew you aimed straight, so I was sure the fault lay in the barrel. There is, you know, a reason for everything.” “Lor’, Kitty! I should never have found out that.”