Clayton saw what the matter was, and, stepping toward her, said
quietly, "You forgot to set the trigger."

The girl's face colored. Again her eye glanced along the barrel, a
puff of smoke flew from the gun, and a shout came from every pair
of lips as the turkey leaped into the air and fell, beating the ground
with its wings. In an instant a young mountaineer had rushed
forward and seized it, and, after a glance, dropped it with a yell of
triumph.

"Shot plum' through the eyes!" he shouted. "Shot plum' through the
eyes!

The girl arose, and handed the gun back to Raines.

Keep hit," he said, steadily. " Hit's yourn."

"I don't want the gun," she said, "but I did want that turkey-' n' "-a
little tauntingly-"I did want to beat you, Sherd Raines."

The mountaineer's face flushed and darkened, but he said nothing.
He took no part in the shooting that followed, and when, after the
match was over, the girl, with her rifle on one shoulder and the
turkey over the other, turned up the mountain path, Clayton saw
him follow her.

IV

A FORTNIGHT later Clayton, rifle in hand, took the same path. It