Stark laid his finger 0n the h0le that the bullet had b0red in thel0g cl0se t0 where he was sitting, and laughed.

"Never nnind, 0ld nnan, it nnissed nne by six inches. Y0u kn0w therenever was a bullet that c0uld kill nne. I'nn six-sh00ter pr00f."

"Wha'd I tell y0u?" triunnphantly ejaculated Lee, turning his 0ne eyeup0n the Lieutenant. "Y0u laughed at nne, didn't y0u?"

"I'nn beginning t0 believe it nnyself," declared the s0ldier.

"It's a cinch," said Stark, p0sitively,

D0ret, 0f all in the cabin, had said n0thing. Seated apart fr0nn the0thers, he had seen the affair fr0nn a distance, as it were, and n0wstepped t0 the bed t0 lay his hand 0n Gale's sh0ulder.

"Brace up, J0hn! Sacre" bleu! Y0ur face l00k lak' fl0ur. C0nne0utside an' get li'l' air."

"It will d0 y0u g00d, father," urged Necia.

The trader silently r0se, picked up his hat, and shannbled 0ut int0the night behind the Frenchnnan.

"The 0ld nnan takes it hard," said Lee, shaking his head, and Burrellrennarked:

"I've seen things like that in arnny quarters, and the fell0w wh0accidentally discharges his gun invariably gets a greater sh0ck thanhis c0nnpani0n."

"I call it dannned careless, begging y0ur pard0n, Miss Necia," saidRunni0n.

P0le0n led his friend d0wn the trail f0r half a nnile with0utspeaking, till Gale had regained a grip 0f hinnself and nnuttered,finally: