"
The doctor had learned from the exhibition of the preceding afternoon
the time required by Jack Everson to repeat his marvelous shots. He
knew, therefore, about the moment when a second was due, and he decided
to make its arrival as dramatic as possible.
"You stand almost on the same spot where stood Almos; he dropped dead
before me, and," raising his hand impressively, "I command you to do
the same."
Mustad obeyed.
Again the faint report swept across the extent of jungle, travelling
with almost the same speed as the bullet, which, like its predecessor,
bored through the dusky chest of the victim and lost itself in the
vegetation beyond. Mustad gasped, convulsively clasped one hand to his
breast, flung out both arms, groped blindly for an instant, and then
slumped down as dead as one of the mummies of the Pyramids.
And the young American, still reclining on that gray, blistering rock,
again rose to a sitting posture and clapped the glasses to his eyes to
observe more clearly the result of his last trial at markmanship.
"That makes seven bull's-eyes!" was his delighted exclamation, "but I
have done as well when the distance was twice as great. I must keep
the number in mind, for it will be like the doctor to insist that I
made but six out of a possible eight. I notice that three gentlemen
are left and require attention."
With the same care as before, he lay back and drew bead on the group,
but the next moment uttered an impatient exclamation and straightened
up again.
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