“Did you get him?” shouted Nora.
“Of course he did. My Uncle Hip never misses anything,” declared Stacy.
“No. Not even food,” added Emma.
“You may all get off. I am going to skin the reptile. He is a fine specimen,” announced Lieutenant Wingate. “I propose to make a hat band of him. It isn’t everyone who can wear a rattler around his sombrero, you know.”
“I’ll say that was a fine shot,” declared Stacy.
“Yes, but not better than almost any other person could make,” differed Emma Dean.
“Velly fine. Me savvy fine shot,” interjected the Chinaman.
“Emma, in a way, is right,” spoke up Grace. “It does not take any sort of marksmanship at all to shoot the head from a rattler. Even a person who never has fired a gun in his life should be able to shoot one.”
Hippy laughed.
“You don’t believe it. Suppose you let Emma try it when next we meet a snake. Point your rifle at a rattler and he will line his head up with the muzzle. Move the muzzle from side to side and he will follow it, always keeping his head in line with it. Then, all you have to do is pull the trigger. Why, I believe I could shoot and hit one with my eyes shut. I think I should like to make the experiment next time we see a rattler,” said Grace.