"Certainly," said Harry. "You ought to know how to shoot. And it won't be the first time you have fired a gun. Take a shot."
"All right," said Kate. And she took off her hat and threw it on the grass. Then she took the gun and raised it to a level with her eye.
"Be easy now," said Harry. "Hold the butt close against your shoulder. Take your time, and aim right at the middle of the mark."
"I'm afraid I'm shutting the wrong eye," said Kate. "I always do."
"Shut your left eye," said Harry. "Get the sight right between your other eye and the mark."
Kate took a good long aim, and then, summoning all her courage, she pulled the trigger.
The gun went off with a tremendous bang! The toadstool trembled for an instant, and then tumbled off the bush.
"Hurra!" shouted Harry. "You've hit it fair!" And he ran and brought it to her, riddled with shot-holes. Kate was delighted with her success, and would have been glad to have spent the rest of the afternoon firing at a mark. But Harry was not well enough supplied with powder and shot for that. However, he gave her another shot at a piece of paper on the bush. She made three shot-holes in it, and Harry said that would do very well. He then loaded up again, and then they started off for home. The path they took led through a corner of the woods.
They had not gone far before they met Gregory Montague.
"Oh, Mah'sr Harry!" said Gregory, "I done foun' a bees' nes'."