“But what is the difference?” said the governor. “I don’t see how it’s done now.”
“But I do,” said Bevis. “Just think: if you hold the gun out like this, and put your left arm high up as near the muzzle as you can, you put the muzzle on the mark directly instead of having to move it about to find it. And that’s it, I’m sure. I saw that was how he held it directly, and then I thought it out.”
“Let me,” said Mark. He had the gun and tried, aiming quickly at an object on the mantelpiece. “So you can—you put the barrels right on it.”
“Give it to me,” said the governor. He tried, twice, thrice, throwing the gun up quickly.
“Keep your left hand in one place,” said Bevis. “Not two places—don’t move it.”
“I do believe he’s right,” said the governor.
“Of course I am,” said Bevis in high triumph. “I’m sure that’s it.”
“So am I,” said Mark.
“Well, really now I come to try, I think it is,” said the governor.
“It’s like a rod on a pivot,” said Bevis. “Don’t you see the left hand is the pivot: if you hold it out as far as you can, then the Long part of the rod is your side of the pivot, and the short little piece is beyond it—then you’ve only got to move that little piece. If you shoot in our old way then the long piece is the other side of the pivot, and of course the least motion makes such a difference. Here, where’s some paper—I can see it, if you can’t.”