“I shall not sell it, thir, till I have given it anothaw twial,” said Elmer.
“Let’s go out and try it now,” urged Frank. “I’d like to shoot it some.”
“Weally, thir, I could not think of letting you handle it; but, as I want to get away fwom these wude cwechers, I will go out with you and show you how it shoots.”
“All right,” smiled Merry. “I’ll take my rifle along and do a little shooting, too. It is in my room, and I will bring it down immediately.”
“All wight; I’ll wait.”
Frank went up to his room and took his rifle from its leather case. It was a plain weapon, but was good enough for any ordinary purpose.
A few moments later four persons left the hotel and walked along the street. They were the two city sportsmen, Gates and Elmer, accompanied by Merriwell and Browning.
“Where shall we go?” asked Elmer, doubtfully.
“Let’s go up the river a piece,” suggested Frank. “We must get out of the village and be careful not to shoot in a direction that will put anyone in peril. These rifles carry a ball a wonderful distance, and they are deadly. Every year from one to three or four persons are shot by accident while hunting up here in the Maine woods. Some excitable individual catches a glimpse of something moving far away in the forest, and he bangs away without investigating. As a result, if he hits anything, he stands a good show of shooting a man.”