"Go ahead, me lad," assented Dennis. "They won't have the execution until I'm ready to go along with ye."
Noel found the rifle which had been given him a trifle heavier than the one to which he had been accustomed. It was a little more difficult for him to raise it to his shoulder and gain the sight which he desired. However, after testing his gun several times and looking carefully to its loading, he abruptly raised the rifle to his shoulder and apparently without taking careful aim fired at the target in the distance.
"Hold on!" called Dennis, when some of the young soldiers started toward the hat. "Wait until I have my shot."
"If one of you hits the hat, we shall not be able to tell which one did it unless we examine it after each shot," suggested one of the soldiers.
"Just wait a minute," called Dennis, "and you'll see two holes. That will mean that both of us hit it."
Good-naturedly the men consented, and Dennis, whose methods were far different from those of his comrade, brought his gun to his shoulder and took long and careful aim before he fired.
In a moment a part of the little band started swiftly toward the hat, and their exclamations of surprise were loud and many when they discovered that Dennis's promise had been fulfilled. Two balls had pierced the crown of the hat within an inch of each other.
"Just put up that hat again," said Dennis. "And if you like, Noel and me will put some eyes and ears on the old hat until it will look as if some old man's face was peering out of it. This is just to show you that there wasn't any luck in it," he added, as he turned quickly to Noel, who was about to fire the second time.
Again the report of the rifle rang out, and then Dennis speedily followed the example of Noel. When the hat was examined two more holes were found in the crown each about an inch from the place which had marked the spot where the preceding bullets had hit the mark.
"I guess the boys are all right," said the orderly.