Wasn't Hamid a proud boy when he stuck the pistol in his sash and strolled up and down in front of the other boys. They were all envious, too, in a proper way; for it was not every one who could carry a pistol made for a prince.
"Now let us see what thy new pistol will do," said Al-Abukar, taking a coin from his pouch, and, through a hole in it, attaching a string and suspending it from the end of a pole which projected from one side of the tent. He paced backwards a short distance, and told Hamid to stand on that spot and shoot at the string which held the coin and try to cut it with the bullet from his pistol.
"Oh, father, thou hast given me a hard task," said Hamid, as he took his place and began to load his pistol.
"So much the more honour to you if you do it well, then," replied his father. "Aim carefully and not too high," he continued.
Hamid shot at the coin several times, but with no luck.
"Let Rashid try his skill," said Al-Abukar.
Rashid's hand shook as he took aim, and his first shot went wild; but his second just grazed the coin and sent it swinging to and fro like a pendulum.
"Well done! oh, son of the city!" cried out the children from the other tents, who had crowded around to watch the shooting.
Their praise pleased Rashid, for he had practised hard with Hamid at shooting at a mark since he had been in the desert.