“For goodness’ sake, do something,” begged Tad.  “You’ve taken enough time already to shoot the tree clean off the map.”

“Who’s doing this shooting, you or I?” asked Chunky.

Tad sat down helplessly.  Stacy was not to be hurried.  The more one urged him, the slower did he become.

“Look out, I’m going to shoot now.  Everybody lie low!”

Stacy spun himself around like a top.  He had whirled three times when the Ranger shouted to him.

“Shoot before you get so dizzy you can’t see!”

Bang!

“Stop it—–­”

Bang!

“Stop it, you idiot!”

McKay struck the fat boy’s revolver just in time to prevent getting a bullet through his own body.  Over yonder the professor lay flat on the ground with a frightened look on his face, shouting at the top of his voice.

“Hold him!  Hold him!  He’ll have us all riddled!”

“Wha—–­what’s the matter?” demanded Stacy looking around innocently.

“Matter?  See what you have done.”

“Di—–­did I wing the professor?” questioned the fat boy innocently.

“Did you wing him!” jeered Tad Butler.

“Come here, young man.  But leave that pistol behind you,” commanded Professor Zepplin.  “I think we will equip you with a small bow and a blunt arrow after this.  Even. then I fear our eyes will be in danger.  Do you see what you did?”

One of Stacy’s bullets had bored a hole through the crown of the professor’s sombrero.  The other had plowed a neat furrow through Professor Zepplin’s grizzled whiskers, close to the chin.

“Ho, ho, ho!  Haw, haw, haw!” roared the fat boy with head thrown back as far as it would go without dislocating his neck.

CHAPTER XXI

A HOLE IN THE MOUNTAIN

The professor gave Stacy a shaking that the fat boy did not forget at once, the others shouting their approval.  The fat boy grinned after his punishment.

“I’m a regular William Tell, eh?” he asked looking about.  It was still a good joke to him.  Even the professor permitted a grim smile to show itself at the base of his whiskers.

“You came near killing Professor Zepplin,” answered the Ranger.

“That would have been too bad,” replied Stacy almost anxiously.  “I shouldn’t have had anybody to tease then.  Do I try that shot again?”

“You do not!” was the firm reply from McKay.

“I guess I knew what I was about when I hid behind that rock,” laughed Rector.

“According to Chunky, you knew what you were about when you got behind the rock during the shooting yesterday,” cut in Tad.

“Come, come, boys, if you are going to shoot any more you’d better get busy.  I shall soon have to leave you.  Who shoots next?” demanded the captain.

“I do,” announced Stacy.

“You shoot no more in this camp, young man,” insisted the professor.  “It’s all right for those who know how, but you endanger our lives with your irresponsible actions.”