The bullet had penetrated the fleshy part of his arm.
Tom wrenched back the lever, ejected the smoking shell, slid another cartridge out of the magazine into the barrel, and lifted the rifle to his shoulder again.
Petit, taken by surprise, had pulled up short.
The unexpected had happened!
“Shoot him in the stummick!” yelled Dave. “Shoot him in the stummick, Tom!”
The love of war is in our Australian youth. When first the Colonial troops rode on to the veldt, seasoned British veterans admitted this.
The first mate had armed himself with a paddle, and was standing behind his chief waving his clubbed oar above his head in a state of great excitement. He shouted defiance at Petit, and wildly urged Tom to kill the latter without benefit of clergy.
George Chard and Dan Creyton, hearing the shot and the shouting, were running in the direction of the boat.
Tom covered Petit with the Winchester.
They were not twenty yards apart.