“Why am I to fire under if I want to hit the snake?” he said.
“Because you will be in motion, and if you do not, your charge of shot will be carried above the reptile for one thing; another is to allow for the refraction, which makes the snake seem higher in the water than it is.”
“But that one has its back right out.”
“Yes: quick! a quick aim, and then draw the trigger.”
Jack had never fired a gun in his life, and he shrank from doing so now, but every one was watching him; and as the barrels still lay on the rail, he glanced along between them as he had along the captain’s telescope that morning, and pulled the trigger, but no explosion followed.
“Quick!” cried the doctor. “Do you call that quick?”
“It won’t go off,” said Jack, with a touch of irritation in his voice.
“Of course it won’t,” cried the doctor. “Why, you had not cocked it.”
Jack had had no experience of guns, but he knew what ought to be done, and quickly drawing back the hammers, he took aim just beneath the largest of the snakes, and fired.
He had not placed the stock close to his shoulder, so he received a sharp blow, and the report sounded deafening, the smoke was blinding, and it was some moments before he was able to see what luck had attended his shot.