At this O'Halloran rose to his feet with a cry of joy.
"The first shot!" he exclaimed.
"Yes," said I, "the first. I'll fire, if you insist on it."
"And that's just what I do," said he, shivering.
At this I took aim.
Bang! went the shot. I afterward found that it passed through his hat.
O'Halloran now raised his pistol, and levelled it at me. But the pleasure of his triumph had excited him; and, besides, he was shivering from head to foot, and his teeth were chattering. An accurate aim was impossible. His hand could scarcely hold the pistol, and his benumbed finger could scarcely pull the trigger. He fired, and the bullet passed through the sleeve of my coat, and close to the doctor's head.
"Me boy," he cried, flinging down the pistol, "there's no ind to the obleegeetions you put me under! I owe ye me loife a second toime. Ye've seeved me from death by fraizing."